President Donald Trump asserted sweeping credit for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, saying nearly all living captives freed during the conflict were released because of his leadership and diplomatic team, a claim that has drawn immediate fact-check pushback and renewed partisan debate.

Speaking during a December 29, 2025, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, Trump praised members of his team, including Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth, crediting them with securing the final 20 living hostages released in October 2025 following his proposed peace framework. “Every hostage just about that’s been released was released because of me,” Trump said, adding that none were freed under the Biden administration.

Supporters of the president hailed the statement as recognition of Trump’s decisive approach to Middle East diplomacy, arguing that his pressure-based strategy and alignment with Israel helped bring the hostage crisis to a close after more than two years. They point to the October 2025 releases as the culmination of negotiations that stalled prior to Trump’s return to office.

Critics, however, quickly circulated timelines and trackers disputing Trump’s claim. Official records show that during the November 2023 ceasefire, brokered under President Joe Biden, 105 living civilian hostages were released. An additional 33 hostages, including eight bodies, were returned in a January 2025 transition deal involving both outgoing and incoming administrations. In total, approximately 138 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas were returned before Trump’s October agreement.

The dispute highlights the political sensitivity surrounding the hostage saga, which became a defining humanitarian and diplomatic issue following the October 7 attacks. While Trump’s allies argue that his administration ultimately ended the crisis and brought the final living captives home, detractors maintain that earlier breakthroughs were achieved through sustained negotiations long before his peace plan took effect.

The clash underscores broader divisions over credit, accountability, and legacy in U.S. Middle East policy, with the hostage releases continuing to serve as a focal point for competing narratives about leadership, diplomacy, and results.