{"id":2376234,"date":"2024-12-04T12:29:02","date_gmt":"2024-12-04T17:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israeli-american-hostages-family-hopes-trump-will-be-a-game-changer-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-12-04T12:30:11","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T17:30:11","slug":"israeli-american-hostages-family-hopes-trump-will-be-a-game-changer-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israeli-american-hostages-family-hopes-trump-will-be-a-game-changer-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Israeli American hostage&#8217;s family hopes Trump will be &#8216;a game changer&#8217; &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fisraeli-american-hostages-family-hopes-trump-will-be-a-game-changer-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2376234&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the statements from President-elect Donald Trump regarding the ongoing hostage situation involving\u200c Israeli citizens held by \u2064Hamas. Trump has issued a stern warning that there will be \u201cHELL TO PAY\u201d if Hamas does not release the hostages \u200bby the time he takes office. This statement has been met with hope from families of the \u2064hostages, particularly from Jonathan\u200d Dekel-Chen, whose son, Sagui, is among those captured. Dekel-Chen expressed optimism that Trump&#8217;s ultimatum could expedite the hostages&#8217; release, referring\u200c to it as a potential &#8220;game changer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Trump&#8217;s comments, while not\u2062 detailing \u200dspecific actions, suggested that those\u2064 responsible for the captives&#8217;\u2064 situation would\u2064 face severe repercussions. Dekel-Chen shared his concerns that \u200bif a deal is not reached by Trump&#8217;s inauguration, \u2063the lives of all \u2063hostages \u200bcould be \u2062in jeopardy. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-starts-evacuating-american-citizens-from-sudan\/\" title=\"U.S. Starts Evacuating American Citizens From Sudan\">situation remains dire<\/a>, as he\u2062 emphasizes the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-troops-in-iraq-syria-attacked-13-times-in-past-week-pentagon-says\/\" title=\"US Troops in Iraq and Syria faced 13 attacks in the past week, according to Pentagon.\">ongoing risks faced<\/a> by the hostages under\u2064 Hamas&#8217;s control, including neglect and abuse. The article captures the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">tense atmosphere surrounding diplomatic efforts<\/a> for the release of hostages amid a backdrop of urgent parental \u2062appeals and political statements.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Israeli American hostage&rsquo;s family hopes Trump&rsquo;s &lsquo;HELL TO PAY&rsquo; statement will be &lsquo;a game changer&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1901211\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>President-elect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump&rsquo;s<\/a> threat of there being &ldquo;HELL TO PAY&rdquo; if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hamas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Hamas<\/a> does not release the Israeli hostages by his inauguration was welcomed by the father of one of the hostages.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son, Sagui Dekel-Chen, is among the hostages, told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>that he remains optimistic about a possible ceasefire deal that would secure his son&rsquo;s release.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to believe that this can be a game changer in terms of expediting the release of the hostages,&rdquo;  he said of Trump&rsquo;s threat to Hamas.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mike-kelly-same-people-criticizing-trump-peddled-russia-collusion-hoax\/\" title=\"Mike Kelly: Same People Criticizing Trump Peddled Russia Collusion Hoax\">president-elect<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/3247315\/trump-hamas-hell-to-pay-hostages-not-released-inauguration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">said<\/a> Monday that &ldquo;those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America,&rdquo; but he did not specify what exactly that could entail.<\/p>\n<p>The elder Dekel-Chen previously told the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3177547\/israel-hostages-families-october-7-hamas-attacks-anniversary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Washington Examiner<\/a><\/em>  that it is his belief that if a deal is not agreed upon by Trump&rsquo;s inauguration, all of the hostages, his son included, would most likely be dead by then. He maintains that belief to this day. The younger Dekel-Chen is a father of three, the youngest of whom is about to turn 1 and has never met her father.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jonathan Dekel-Chen, second from left, father of American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, along with other families of hostages in Gaza, speaks to reporters on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, outside the White House in Washington. (AP Photo\/Susan Walsh)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;All of the hostages are in constant peril, both from the abuse and the neglect that they are receiving from their Hamas captors, the very real and proven possibility that in given situations, their Hamas captors will simply execute them,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Jonathan Dekel-Chen also expressed concern about the impending winter and how going through a second one in poor conditions with little food and water would impact the hostages&rsquo; health.<\/p>\n<p>Sagui Dekel-Chen is one of seven American Israelis held by Hamas. Earlier this week, the Israeli military announced that it had new intelligence to conclude that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3246904\/israeli-american-omar-neutra-thought-taken-hostage-killed-oct-7\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Omer Neutra<\/a>, one of the seven Americans, had been killed during the attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and Hamas kidnapped his body. Officials had believed he was alive prior to the announcement. Four of the seven Americans are now believed to have been killed, and the other three, including Dekel-Chen, are believed to be alive.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, Hamas released a propaganda video featuring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3246175\/white-house-condemns-cruel-hamas-video-of-israeli-american-hostage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Edan Alexander<\/a>, one of the Israeli American hostages believed to be alive, and in it, he urged Trump to &ldquo;negotiate for our freedom.&rdquo; The reference to Trump&rsquo;s electoral victory indicates the video was filmed since last month&rsquo;s election.<\/p>\n<p>Keith Siegel is the other American believed to be alive, while Israeli officials have announced that Itay Chen, and Gadi and Judi Haggai were killed.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has repeatedly said he wants to see a ceasefire and hostage deal finalized before he is inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025, though it is unclear whether his statement will move the needle for Hamas and Israel, both of whom have refused to concede on certain aspects of a deal.<\/p>\n<p>The Biden administration, for its part, has spent more than a year acting as one of a handful of mediators for these talks, which have at times gotten close but have repeatedly failed to get across the finish line.<\/p>\n<p>One of the major sticking points in the negotiations is Hamas&rsquo;s demand that an agreement would completely end the war, while Israel&rsquo;s stance is that it will not end the war until Hamas has been removed from power and the threat it poses to Israel is gone. However, Israeli forces have repeatedly had to go back into areas where they previously fought Hamas to ensure the group cannot reconstitute, which demonstrates both the difficulties of achieving Israel&rsquo;s objectives as well as the reasons behind them.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Hamas is believed to be holding about 100 hostages whom they kidnapped nearly 14 months ago, during its Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack that instigated the war with Israel. It is unclear exactly how many of the hostages are still alive.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S.-designated terrorist group initially kidnapped about 250 people, and more than half were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. Hamas has not released any hostages since then, though Israeli forces have carried out a handful of rescue missions, only some of which were successful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1901211\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1901211\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Family of Israeli American hostage sees hope in Trump&#8217;s threat<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2671,"featured_media":2376235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AP24323533314691.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4123,3881,11490,5779,3634],"class_list":["post-2376234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-american","tag-family","tag-hostage","tag-israeli","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/AP24323533314691.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2671"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2376234"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2376238,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376234\/revisions\/2376238"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2376235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2376234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2376234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2376234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}