From the Liveblog of
Monday, December 29, 2025
Trump says he and PM to discuss 5 topics including Gaza, falsely says no hostages freed under Biden
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
US President Donald Trump says that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be talking about five subjects in their meeting, including Gaza.
Trump falsely claims that no hostages “were released in the Biden administration, none. They were all released because of us.” More than 100 hostages were released in a November 2023 ceasefire under Biden. The last 20 living hostages were freed on October 13, 2025, under an arrangement brokered by Trump.
Asked twice whether he’ll allow for the commencement of his Gaza plan’s second phase before the return of the final hostage body, Trump avoids answering directly.
He notes that he just met the parents of that final deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, inside Mar-a-Lago.
“He’s the only one left, and we’re doing everything we can to get his body back,” Trump says. “The parents just said, hopefully he’s alive, and I said, ‘I love you to think that way.'”
Trump asks Netanyahu how many hostages were kidnapped on October 7, 2023, and the premier incorrectly responds, “255.”
The correct number is 251.
The Times of Israel Community.