US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday warned Gaza militants of massive repercussions if hostages are not released by the time he takes office.

The threat comes after exhaustive diplomacy by outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration that has so far failed to secure a deal that would both end Israel’s war in Gaza and free hostages seized 14 months ago.

“If the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!”

Trump has vowed staunch support for Israel and to dispense with Biden’s occasional criticism, but has also spoken of his desire to secure deals on the world stage.

Hamas staged the deadliest ever attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The assault resulted in 1,208 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Militants seized 251 hostages during the attack, some of whom were already dead. Of those, 97 are still held in Gaza, including 35 the army says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed 44,429 people in Gaza, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

‘Rockstar‘-fame actor Nargis Fakhri’s sister Aliya Fakhri has been arrested in the murder probe of her ex-boyfriend and his friend in Queens, New York. Aliya, 43, allegedly set a two-story garage on fire, which led to the death of Edward Jacobs, 35, and Anastasia Ettienne, 33.

Aliya Fakhri arrived at the garage early morning on November 2 and yelled “you’re all going to die today” at Jacobs, who lived upstairs. A witness came out hearing her voice and found that the building was on fire, said District Attorney Melinda Katz.

Jacobs was sleeping during the incident. Ettienne came downstairs when alerted, but returned to save Jacobs. But neither of them could make it out of the burning building safely. Jacobs and Ettienne died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries, Ms Katz’s office said in a press release.

Aliya Fakhri has been charged with four counts of murder in the first degree and four counts of murder in the second degree. She has also been accused of arson by a grand jury. She faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted of the top charge, the attorney said.

The court has remanded her and her next appearance is scheduled for December 9.

“As alleged in this indictment, this defendant maliciously ended the lives of two people by setting a fire that trapped a man and woman in a raging inferno. The victims tragically died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries,” said Ms Katz.

A witness to the crime scene also narrated a disturbing account of events. Recalling that he smelled a sweet burning odour, the witness said he found the couch on the stairs on fire. They had to jump over the fire to escape the inferno. The witness said Ettienne had jumped across with him but went back in to save Jacobs.

Calling their relationship an abusive one, the witness also said that Ms Fakhri had previously threatened to burn Jacobs’ house down.

Jacobs had broken up with Ms Fakhri about a year ago but she wasn’t accepting the rejection, her mother Janet told the New York Post. She said her son was a plumber and was working on a project to convert the garage into an apartment.

Nargis Fakhri, best known for her role in the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Rockstar, is yet to comment on the matter.

Their mother, however, couldn’t believe Aliya Fakhri could murder someone. She said Aliya was a person who cared for and tried to help everyone. She also revealed that Aliya had struggled with opioid addiction after a dental mishap, which she believes may have led to her behaviour, according to multiple reports.

Actress Nargis Fakhri’s sister Aliya has been arrested for allegedly setting a fire that killed her ex-boyfriend and his friend in Queens, New York. She has been indicted on multiple counts of murder and arson, with a potential life sentence if convicted. The incident reportedly involved Aliya’s attempts to reconcile with her ex-boyfriend.