U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming special envoy to the Middle East said negotiators could be on the verge of a deal to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas in its war against Israel.

“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,” Steven Witkoff said Tuesday at a press conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Trump repeated a threat that if the hostages were not released before his inauguration on Jan. 20 that Hamas would pay a price. Hamas and Israel still have key obstacles to overcome before agreeing to pause fighting.

“If they’re not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East, and it will not be good for Hamas and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone,” the incoming president said.

Trump has indicated he wants the war in Gaza swiftly concluded. It is unclear what retaliatory actions he would take against Hamas if the hostages are not released.

Hamas has signaled a willingness to return almost three dozen hostages but a broader cease-fire deal has remained elusive.

The U.S.-designated terrorist group, unveiled a list of 34 hostages that it would release in an initial phase of a ceasefire agreement with Israel on Monday. The militant group, however, did not clarify which individuals are alive or dead, with a Hamas official only saying at least two are dead. Israel has demanded living hostages.

As he prepares to assume the presidency again, Trump’s own team has been taking shape. He named Morgan Ortagus to be his deputy Middle East peace envoy, reporting to Witkoff. In his announcement, Trump said he expected “great results” soon — a sign of the pressure on his staff to rapidly steward an end to the conflict.

Witkoff said he traveled to Qatar for meetings about securing a ceasefire and hostage deal, and plans to go back this week.

Israeli officials have suggested that U.S. pressure should be directed at Qatar and Egypt, which have served as intermediaries with Hamas and, the officials say, might respond to threats of withheld support from Washington.

“Trump’s word has value, has weight, exerts huge leverage over the mediators,” Eli Cohen, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, told Israel’s Army Radio on Tuesday. “These very countries are dependent on the United States for their defense.”

Qatar has previously rejected the idea it can get a ceasefire by putting more pressure on Hamas, some of whose political leaders are based in the Gulf country. The U.S. has regularly commended Qatar for its mediation efforts.

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration also hopes to see an agreement before the end of his tenure, as his aides seek to shore up his foreign-policy legacy.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East became a political liability for Biden’s party before November’s U.S. election, as some voters refused to vote for Democrats over their support for Israel’s defense and for not putting more pressure on Israel to stop its offensive on Gaza.

Hamas killed 1,200 people in its Oct. 7, 2023 massacre on Israeli soil, and took 250 hostages. As a result of the ensuing ground and air invasion by Israel, more than 45,000 people have died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

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With assistance from Dan Williams.

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