President-elect Trump repeated his warnings that all hell will break loose in the Middle East if hostages kidnapped from Israel and held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip are not released before his inauguration on Jan. 20. 

“It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone,” Trump said during a press conference at his residence in Florida, Mar-A-Lago. “All hell will break out. I don’t have to say anymore, but that’s what it is.” 

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, said at the same press conference that there’s been a lot of progress on efforts to release about 100 hostages held in the Gaza Strip, saying he’s hopeful a deal is achieved ahead of the inauguration. 

Witkoff said he had just returned from discussions in Doha, Qatar on the hostage release deal and was planning to head back to the region on Wednesday or Thursday. 

“I believe we’ve been on the verge of it. I don’t want to discuss sort of what’s delayed it,” he said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken had earlier said he hoped the Biden administration could conclude a hostage release and ceasefire deal before the end of President Biden’s term in office.