Trump criticizes Biden for lack of US leadership in hostage deal

Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday night that the reason American hostages had not been returned yet, at that time, was out of a lack of respect for the United States.

Trump made his statement following the delayed release of the second group of hostages abducted by Hamas into Gaza on Oct. 7.

“Has anyone noticed that Hamas has returned people from other countries but so far has not returned a single American prisoner? There is only one reason for this: no respect for our country or our leadership,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “This is a very sad and dark time for America!”

Earlier in November, during an interview with U.S. Spanish-language channel Univision, Trump said American taxpayer money had helped finance the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas against southern Israel.

“These Hamas attacks are a shame. Unfortunately, American taxpayers' dollars helped finance these attacks, which according to many reports came from the Biden administration,” Trump said.

On Oct. 18, less than two weeks after Hamas’ gruesome massacres, rapes and kidnappings, U.S. President Joe Biden pledged $100 million dollars in aid to Gaza. Trump reacted to this donation a month ago, at the annual conference of the Republican Jewish Coalition, saying that it was “unacceptable.”

“Joe Biden's weakness caused an attack on Israel,” Trump stated.

“We give Gaza $100 million dollars, but Hamas takes 100% of it. This is unacceptable. If I were president, the attack on Israel would never have happened.”

On Sunday, during the release of the third group of hostages, an Israeli-American toddler, Avigail Idan, 4, was freed along with 13 other Israelis and three Thai nationals.

Idan’s mother was killed in front of her and her father was shot while covering Avigail with his body in the southern Israeli border community of Kfar Aza on Oct. 7. Biden spoke with Avigail’s relatives on Sunday night, according to a senior Biden administration official.

“The story of Avigail in many ways was a microcosm of the horror Hamas unleashed on October 7,” the administration official said in a statement to reporters.

“We are thrilled that Avigail is now home and back in the loving arms of her extended family. She will receive the care and attention she needs through the Israelis and we are also ready to provide all appropriate support,” the official added.

In a press conference held in Nantucket, Massachusetts, Biden said that he, his wife and “so many Americans” are praying that Avigail will be fine, despite her unimaginable ordeal.

“What she endured is unthinkable,” Biden said, stressing that in a recent call to the Emir of Qatar, he had personally pushed for the little girl to be released.

Speaking to the press after Avigail’s return to Israel, her grandfather Carmel thanked Biden.

“We love him very much for all the help he is giving us, to Israel. Keep going. Keep going. We don’t admire you. We love you,” he said.