Washington, Jan 19 (NationPress) US President-elect Donald Trump stated that he advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to keep doing what has to be done while highlighting his wish for the conflict between Israel and Hamas to conclude.

He reiterated that "all hell will break out" if both sides fail to maintain the ceasefire-hostage agreement.

In a phone interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump mentioned his intention to meet with Netanyahu "fairly shortly", though he refrained from disclosing further details about the potential meeting.

He conveyed to Netanyahu that "this has to end", but also advised him to "just keep doing what you have to do".

When questioned about his confidence in the release of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza as part of the agreement, Trump responded, "Well, we're going to see very soon, and it better hold."

He emphasized that the US will demand "respect" to ensure compliance with the agreement and warned of repercussions if it fails to hold.

"The United States has to get respected again, and it has to get respected fast. But respect is the primary word that I use," he stated.

"If they respect us, it will hold. If they don't respect us, all hell will break out."

Trump's incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz and his new Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff collaborated with the Biden administration to facilitate the ceasefire agreement, which is anticipated to commence on Sunday.

At present, 33 hostages are slated for release in exchange for 1,904 Palestinian prisoners starting Sunday, although Hamas has yet to provide a list of names to Israel.

Trump told NBC that his administration would uphold the ceasefire with "good government".

"Respect. The United States has to be respected again, and it has to be respected fast. But respect is the primary word that I use," he reiterated.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that he adhered to three "fundamental principles" during the negotiations that resulted in the ceasefire-for-hostages agreement with Hamas.

Initially, he expressed in a televised address on Saturday that Israel reserves the right to resume military actions, with US support, should the negotiations for the next phase of the deal collapse.

Secondly, Netanyahu asserted he advocated for a "significant increase" in the number of living hostages released in the initial phase of the agreement.

He claimed to have "nearly doubled" that number since discussions in May, yet did not specify.

Thirty-three hostages are expected to be released by Hamas in the first phase of the agreement, but it remains uncertain how many of them are alive.

Israel has typically included hostages who have died but whose remains have not been repatriated among its official hostage count.

The third principle, according to Netanyahu, was that Israel would retain full control over the Philadelphi Corridor — the narrow strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border — as well as the security buffer zone surrounding the entire Gaza Strip.

Israel's ongoing military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor had previously been a contentious issue in negotiations, but Netanyahu stated on Saturday that, "contrary to all the reports I hear from the outside," Israel was "not only not reducing the forces there — we are even slightly increasing them".