Steve Witkoff, President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, said on Tuesday that he was “really hopeful” that they were “on the verge of a deal” to announce the return of the hostages by Inauguration Day. 

Witkoff made the comments while appearing alongside the president-elect at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate, expressing confidence to reporters that they would be able to secure the release of those still in Gaza before Trump took office on Jan. 20. 

“I think we’re making a lot of progress. I don’t want to say too much because I think they’re doing a really good job back in Doha,” Witkoff said, referring to the Qatari capital where hostage-release and cease-fire talks are taking place. “But I think that we’ve had some really great progress and I’m really hopeful that by the inaugural we’ll have some good things to announce on behalf of the president.”

After noting that he believed they were “on the verge of a deal,” Witkoff said that, “I don’t want to discuss sort of what’s delayed it. [There is] no point to being negative in any way, but I think it’s the president, his stature, what he said he expects, the red lines he’s put out there, that’s driving this negotiation.”

“Hopefully it’ll all work out and we’ll save some lives,” he added.

The incoming Middle East envoy also revealed during his remarks that he will head back to Doha, on Wednesday as hostage talks continue with delegations from Israel and Hamas.

Witkoff described Trump as “exasperated” over the lack of a deal to get the hostages home, and the president-elect reiterated his warning, without offering specifics, that “all hell will break loose” in the region if Hamas had not returned the remaining hostages by the time he was sworn in later this month.

“I don’t want to hurt your negotiation,” Trump said to Witkoff before issuing the threat. “If they’re [the hostages] not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East.”

“It will not be good for Hamas and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone. All hell will break out,” he continued. “I don’t have to say any more, but that’s what it is.”

Asked about Hamas, Trump said that the terrorist group “should’ve never taken” the hostages.

“There should’ve never been the attack of Oct. 7, people forget that, but there was, and many people were killed, they’re no longer hostages. I have people from Israel and others calling, begging me, … I’ve had mothers come to me and fathers crying, [asking] can I get the body of their son back, can I get the body of their daughter back,” Trump said, lamenting “the way they treated … that beautiful girl where they threw her in the car, pulled her by her ponytail and threw her in the car like she was a sack of potatoes. I said, ‘What happened to her?’ [And they replied:] ‘Sir, she’s dead.’ A 19-, 20-year-old beautiful girl.”

Pressed by reporters on if the parties could be waiting until Trump takes office to agree to a deal, Witkoff replied: “No.”

“I think they heard him loud and clear. [This] better get done by the inaugural,” Witkoff said.