Jonathan Conricus, former spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, told Newsmax on Tuesday that President-elect Donald Trump “injected” some momentum into the ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, adding nobody wants to be on the “wrong side of the books” with the incoming American president.

Trump told Newsmax on Monday night that there will be a “lot of trouble” for Hamas and the sponsors of terrorism if a ceasefire doesn’t get done and hostages don’t get released. Conricus joined “The Record With Greta Van Susteren” to say Trump’s influence “matters a lot.”

“I assess that really the weight of incoming President Trump has been applied on Qatar and perhaps on Egypt, which are the two state supporters of Hamas. And that is perhaps what has injected the whole process with a bit more momentum. And that is why we perhaps can be a little bit more hopeful as to what’s happening,” Conricus told guest host Bianca de la Garza.

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