House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday there will be “hell to pay” if the Palestinian militant group Hamas violates any of the terms of its cease-fire deal with Israel.
“You cannot allow Hamas, which of course, is a proxy of Iran, to be situated as they were, to have another October 7. We just can’t — the Israelis can’t live under those conditions,” Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, told NBC’s “Meet the Press,” referring to Hamas’ 2023 attack on southern Israel. “And everyone around the world needs to know, as President[-elect Donald] Trump has made clear, that we stand with Israel and there will be hell to pay for Hamas if they violate these terms.”
He didn’t specify what “hell to pay” would mean for Hamas, saying “we’ll have to find out.”
“I’m not going to forecast that action, but I will tell you, President Trump is coming back to restore peace through strength, and that’s what the American people voted for, and that’s what our allies around the world are counting on,” Mr. Johnson said.
Mr. Johnson said he and Mr. Trump are “hopeful” that the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas will hold. He said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “cautiously optimistic” it will hold.
“Hamas is a terrorist organization. They’re not known to keep their word, but we need these hostages released, and we hope they’re released into safety. We hope that there is peace in Israel,” he said. “But I will say this, if Hamas breaks the cease-fire, they need to know the United States will stand with our ally Israel, and Israel will have to eradicate that threat. It’s very important for the stability of the region.”
The first three Israeli hostages were released Sunday, all women: Romi Gonen, 24; Emily Damari, 28; and Doron Steinbrecher, 31.
President Biden announced the deal last week and said his administration worked with the incoming Trump administration to get it done. The deal would end the 15-month war between Israel and Hamas.
In remarks on Sunday, Mr. Biden said the “cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages is a result of a principled and effective policy that we presided over for months.
“And we got here without a wider war in the Middle East that many predicted,” he said. “And now it falls to the next administration to help implement this deal.”
Mr. Biden said that four other women would be released in a week’s time and then three additional hostages every seven days after that. At least two of the hostages to be released will include American citizens.
This is the first phase of the cease-fire deal made by the Biden and incoming Trump administrations. It will include a six-week pause of fighting and the release of 33 hostages.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.