President-elect Donald Trump’s Vice President-elect J.D. Vance explained on Fox News what Trump meant when he said, “All hell would break loose” if the hostages in Gaza aren’t freed by his inauguration on January 20.

Vance said, “It means enabling the Israelis to knock out the final couple of battalions of Hamas and their leadership. It means very aggressive sanctions and financial penalties on those who are supporting terrorist organizations in the Middle East. It means doing the job of American leadership,” Vance said.

The IDF has said that only two out of twenty-four Hamas battalions remain, but the delay in dismantling them is due to intelligence indicating that they are holding most of the remaining hostages, and the IDF is concerned that operations may harm the captives.

Vance did not elaborate on the financial sanctions his administration would impose, but it may resemble similar financial penalties the US has placed on terror groups.

Vance said, “We’re hopeful there’s going to be a deal that struck toward the very end of Biden’s administration — maybe the last day or two,” Vance says. “But regardless of when that deal is struck, it will be because people are terrified that there are going to be consequences for Hamas.”

During a high-level security meeting last week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz urged the IDF to draft a plan to completely destroy Hamas if the hostages are not released by the time Donald Trump takes office as US President.

Also attending the meeting were IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Defense Ministry Director-General Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir and senior military commanders.

Katz also cautioned the IDF to consider what issues may create obstacles, such as the humanitarian aspect, and encouraged them to make the plan flexible enough to allow the political echelon to make necessary decisions.

The Defense Minister added that considerations of post-war governance in Gaza were irrelevant with Hamas still standing, since no nation or group, whether Arab or not, is interested in taking responsibility for running Gaza while the terror group still has a strong presence there.

Image - Reuters