Republican Congressman Michael Waltz, who was appointed by President-elect Donald Trump as his national security adviser, has offered his thoughts on the incoming administration’s foreign policy toward the Middle East. In an interview with commentator Ben Shapiro that aired on December 22, Waltz urged Hamas to release the hostages before Trump takes office on January 20, 2025.
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According to The Times of Israel , Mr. Waltz said that the four American hostages had been held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip longer than the Americans taken during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.
"That's completely unacceptable. I think they're not being adequately warned about the consequences. That's what we need to tell these groups. If you take an American, you're going to pay a very heavy price. There's nothing but consequences for you financially and maybe a bullet in the forehead," said Waltz, a former member of the US Army's Green Beret Special Forces.
Congressman Michael Waltz, nominated by President-elect Trump as National Security Advisor
Hamas and its Gaza-based allies are believed to still be holding 96 hostages, with the Israeli military saying 34 have been killed. President-elect Trump has previously issued similar warnings to Waltz but has not outlined a plan to rescue the hostages. Officials in the administration of outgoing President Joe Biden have recently expressed cautious optimism about the prospects for a ceasefire and hostage release, but no deal has been announced.
In the interview, Mr. Waltz praised Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the September operation to blow up Hezbollah's pagers in Lebanon. Mr. Waltz said the operation could be made into a movie and praised it as the most effective covert operation in modern history, weakening Hezbollah and also exposing the weaknesses of its ally Iran.
The lawmaker said Hamas was more isolated than ever and had only one way out. "All the ways out for Hamas are blocked except for the release of the hostages if they want to survive," Waltz said, suggesting that Hamas could survive, in contrast to Netanyahu's view of eliminating the group.
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America will monitor Iran
Regarding Iran, Mr. Waltz said that the country has been exposed and is facing two options: move quickly to possess nuclear weapons or vice versa to avoid provoking Israel. "We will wait and see which path they choose. I do not want to reveal our plans but we are watching very closely," Mr. Waltz said.
On the other hand, Mr. Waltz criticized President Biden for removing the "foreign terrorist organization" (FTO) designation from the Houthis, an ally of Hamas in Yemen, in 2021. Mr. Waltz said he would soon reverse this decision.
Houthi forces parade in Sanaa (Yemen) on December 18
Additionally, Congressman Waltz predicted that there is a good chance of reaching an agreement to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the influential Arab country in the region.
Israel normalized relations with the UAE and Bahrain in 2020 under the auspices of the then-US administration of Donald Trump and is working toward a similar deal with Saudi Arabia. Israel and Saudi Arabia both view Iran as a regional rival, and Waltz said that was key to the normalization deal. However, Hamas’s attacks on Israel and Tel Aviv’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza have brought the Palestinian issue back to the forefront.
Mr Waltz said the parties were close to a deal but Iran “put a spoke in the wheel” by “triggering” a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Iran has repeatedly denied any involvement.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/co-van-ong-trump-canh-bao-hamas-tha-con-tin-neu-muon-song-185241223113341187.htm
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