Israel’s Netanyahu thanks Trump for strong hostage statement

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday for issuing a toughly worded statement demanding that hostages held in the Gaza Strip be released ahead of his Jan. 20 inauguration.

“Hamas is required to release the hostages. President Trump put the emphasis in the right place, on Hamas, and not on the Israeli government, as is customary (elsewhere),” Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.