US President Donald Trump listens at an event marking one year since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Trump said that he thought fewer hostages are alive ‘than many people think.’
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, President-elect Donald Trump said the war in Gaza must end, but Israel must be victorious.
Responding to the question of whether he would put pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza, he indicated that he would, but he added, “I want him to end it, but you have to have a victory.”
Trump said that he thought fewer hostages are alive “than many people think.”
Speaking of one hostage who was pulled by her hair and seen bloodied, he said “I don’t think you have as many. I mean, I hate to say it, I think you have far fewer hostages than people think.”
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan, a hostage in Gaza, was seen in a Hamas propaganda video earlier in the week, in September said she believed that only 30 to 35 of the 110 remaining hostages are alive after Netanyahu put the number at 50.
Trump was critical of people who minimized or denied the October 7th massacre and referred to them as “October 7th deniers.”
He explained, “People forget about October 7th. That was as violent — and you know what’s happening? I noticed that a lot of people are saying, ‘Oh, it never really happened.’ That’s like the Holocaust.”
Trump added, “You know, you have Holocaust deniers. Now you have October 7th deniers, and it just happened. No, October 7th happened.”
He concluded, “No, October 7th happened. And I’ve seen the pictures. It is — what happened is horrible.”
When asked what he thought Trump as president would do to bring about the end of the Gaza war, Jewish author and broadcaster Mark Levin told Arutz Sheva that “Trump wants peace but he will protect Israel.”
Levin said, “I predict that he will give the Israeli government whatever they need to end the war quickly. He would like peace, but he will protect Israel. It will be a fantastic opportunity for the Israeli government.”
The broadcaster revealed that after he sent Trump a congratulations message, Trump texted back, saying, “Thank you, and by the way, Mark, I will protect Israel.”
Last week, Trump threatened there would be “hell to pay” if the hostages in Gaza aren’t released by the time he takes office on January 20th.
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