President-elect Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said on Tuesday he hopes to have good things to report about hostages held by Hamas in Gaza by the time Trump is sworn in as U.S. president on Jan.

US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming special envoy to the Middle East said negotiators were on the verge of a deal to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas in its war against Israel.

Hamas stood by its demand on Tuesday that Israel fully end its assault on Gaza under any deal to release hostages, and said U.S. President-elect Donald Trump was rash to say there would be "hell to pay" unless they go free by his Jan.

Standing next to his envoy to the Middle East, President-elect Donald Trump told reporters he wants hostages released from Gaza before his Jan. 20 inauguration.

President-elect Donald Trump warned that if the hostages whom Hamas is still holding in Gaza are not released by his inauguration on January 20, “all hell will break out in the Middle East” – offering one more stark indication of how much the incoming president would prefer to avoid inheriting the Israel-Hamas war as he prepares to take office in less than two weeks.

President-elect Donald Trump is issuing an ultimatum for Hamas, saying that if the hostages aren't released before his inauguration in two weeks, "all hell will break out." "If they're not back by the time I get into office,