Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally at the J.S. Dorton Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina, Nov. 4, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

(JTA) — Donald Trump celebrated the release of three Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity, and has signaled that he is committed to fully implementing the ceasefire in Gaza.

“Hostages starting to come out today! Three wonderful young women will be first,” the incoming president posted on social media. He wrote the post hours before Emily Damari, Doron Steinbrecher and Romi Gonen returned to Israel as the first stage of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire set in.

Trump, who will take office on Monday, has long vowed to bring peace to the war-torn region. He escalated his pressure for a ceasefire in the weeks before the inauguration, threatening “hell to pay” if the hostages remained in captivity. His team was involved in the negotiations for a deal.

Now, he is sending signals that he intends to see the ceasefire through.

The first stage of the ceasefire will last six weeks and see the release of 30 more hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners. The second and third stages, which have yet to be negotiated, would include the release of the remaining 64 hostages, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the reconstruction of the territory.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that if the ceasefire talks break down, Trump will support Israel returning to war.

But Trump is sending a different message — and pressing Israel to complete the ceasefire talks. In a Saturday interview with NBC News, he said the ceasefire “better hold.” The incoming president added that in a conversation with Netanyahu, he warned, “this has to end. We want it to end, but to keep doing what has to be done.”

Now, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is considering visiting Gaza in order to make sure the ceasefire lasts, according to NBC News. The report extensively quoted an anonymous official on Trump’s transition team who appeared to have intimate knowledge of Witkoff’s motivations. The official said Witkoff would be on the lookout for attempts by both Israel and Hamas to scuttle the deal.

“You have to be right on top of it, ready to snuff out a problem if it happens,” the anonymous official said. “Remember, there’s a lot of people, radicals, fanatics, not just from the Hamas side, from the right wing of the Israeli side, who are absolutely incentivized to blow this whole deal up.”

Control of Gaza is in flux, as Israel withdraws from population centers as part of the ceasefire, and where exactly Witkoff would go remains unclear. He is expected to spend considerable time in the region whether or not he visits Gaza. But the official said improving quality of life for Gaza residents, who have faced dire humanitarian conditions for much of the war, was a priority.

“If we don’t help the Gazans, if we don’t make their life better, if we don’t give them a sense of hope, there’s going to be a rebellion,” the official said.

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