Israeli president calls Trump a ‘true friend’ on Inauguration Day, praises his work to release hostages

Israeli President Isaac Herzog is praising Donald Trump on Inauguration Day, calling him a 'true friend' of the country and thanking him for his efforts to secure the release of hostages from Hamas. 

'On behalf of the people of Israel, I send my heartfelt congratulations to you, President Donald Trump on your inauguration as the 47th POTUS,' Herzog wrote on X. 

'You are a true friend of Israel. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and to building a better future for our region. A special thank you for your commitment to bringing all our hostages home,' he continued. 

'We wish you and your administration great success in your service to the American people. Good luck!' Herzog added. 

The comments come a day after Hamas released to Israel three hostages it has been holding in captivity for nearly 500 days, as part of a cease-fire and hostage release agreement. 

In exchange, Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners in the West Bank. 

'Let's face it, the fact that President Trump had a clear message, 'By my inauguration, I want to see hostages coming out, or else there will be hell to pay,’ made a huge impact in the Middle East, and we are hopeful that with his leadership, we're going to see all 98 hostages coming out starting today with the three female hostages,' Ronen Neutra, whose son Omer was killed by Hamas terrorists, told Fox News on Sunday. 

Trump said last week, 'This EPIC cease-fire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies.  

'I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones,' he had written on Truth Social. 

Fox News' Taylor Penley contributed to this report.