Trump warns ‘there will be all hell to pay’ if Hamas hostages aren't released before he assumes office

WASHINGTON, Dec 3: Donald Trump has warned that “there will be all hell to pay in the Middle East” if the Hamas hostages are not released before he assumes office. The president-elect also said that “those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit” after he becomes president.

In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East - But it’s all talk, and no action! Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity. Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!”

As many as 97 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 last year remain in Gaza, it is believed. This includes bodies of at least 35 confirmed dead by the Israel Defense Forces.

On Monday, the IDF confirmed that Cpt. Omer Maxim Neutra, 21, was killed in the attack, and his body is now being held in Gaza. Until now it was believed that Neutra, a “lone soldier” from New York, was alive and being held hostage.

The IDF said that Neutra’s death was declared by the Military Rabbinate based on findings and new intelligence information. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent his condolences to the family of the deceased young man.

“Omer was a man of values, blessed with talents and a Zionist in every sense of the word,” Netanyahu reportedly said in a statement. “He immigrated to Israel to enlist in the IDF, chose a combat path and was chosen to command and lead.”

The Israeli PM added that Israel “will not rest or be silent until we return him home for a Jewish burial, and we will continue to act resolutely and tirelessly until we return all of our hostages.”

Biden Pardons Son In 2 Criminal Cases

WASHINGTON, Dec 2: US President Joe Biden said on Sunday he had pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of making false statements on a gun background check and illegally possessing a firearm and pled guilty to federal tax charges.

"Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department's decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted," he said in a statement released by the White House.

The White House had said repeatedly that Biden would not pardon or commute the sentences of his son, a recovering drug addict who became a target of Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump.

"No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son," Biden said.

Hunter Biden faced sentencing for the false statements and gun convictions on Wednesday. In September he pled guilty to federal charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while spending lavishly on drugs, sex workers and luxury items. He faced sentencing in that case on December 16.

"I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction - mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport," Hunter Biden said in a statement on Sunday, adding he had remained sober for more than five years.

"In the throes of addiction, I squandered many opportunities and advantages ... I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted and will devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering."

The president, whose son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015, said his opponents had sought to break Hunter with selective prosecution.

US Approves $320 Billion F-16 Fighter Planes, Radar Systems To Taiwan

WASHINGTON, Dec 1: The United States on Friday said it had approved the possible sale of spare parts for F-16 fighter planes and radar systems to Taiwan, in a deal valued at $320 million.

The proposed sale consists of equipment in existing US military stocks, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.

"This proposed sale serves US national, economic and security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability," the DSCA said.

"The proposed sale will improve the recipient's ability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16 aircraft."

China insists self-ruled Taiwan is part of its territory and opposes any international recognition of the island and its claim to be a sovereign nation.

The United States, while not recognising Taiwan diplomatically, is a major international backer.

The proposed sale includes "spare parts and support for F-16 aircraft" and "Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar spare parts and support," DSCA said.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States requested the purchase and deliveries were estimated to begin next year, it added.

The deal was approved by the State Department, with the DSCA providing the required notification to Congress on Friday.