Can Trump force Hamas to free the hostages they're holding?

Things might be moving on the hostage front. Hezbollah has decoupled itself from Hamas in agreeing to a cease-fire. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has returned again to the region for discussion. Qatar kicked Hamas out and said it wanted to reengage on hostage and ceasefire negotiations. Donald Trump named a hostage special envoy and issued a statement warning that there will be "hell to pay" if the Hamas-held hostages were not freed by the time of his inauguration on January 20, 2025.