Donald Trump’s threat that “all hell will break loose” if the Gaza prisoners are not released by his inauguration is, according to my calculations, the third time he has used such rhetoric since winning the US presidential election in November.
It’s also a term that has been used in a variety of circumstances, most recently in June 2024 as part of a fundraising text to supporters before of one of his court cases, as well as by aides and spokespeople during the campaign.
It’s characteristic of him and adds to his image for being unpredictable, which may be quite useful in the Middle East.
Trump demands greater NATO defence spending
Although some in Israeli political circles have suggested that Trump withhold aid deliveries in order to starve Hamas into surrender, it is difficult to imagine the US president tacitly allowing that, with all the international legal ramifications that would have. Trump’s threats may be aimed at Iran’s leadership, but it is doubtful how much real influence they still have over a severely depleted Hamas in Gaza, and Trump, who detests war, is unlikely to strike Tehran and risk launching US forces into a new Middle East conflict within weeks of taking office.
