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The events surrounding the ousting of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from the White House last week came at a good time for Israel. Until just a few days ago, it seemed not everyone understood that the world had changed when U.S. President Donald Trump took office. Among them are members of the Israeli media, Hamas and some Arab countries such as Egypt and Qatar. Zelensky and the countries supporting him failed to understand. This is a shame and a waste of energy.
If the realization that the world had changed would have reached the Middle East sooner, the discussion over ending the war in exchange for the release of all of the hostages held in Gaza would have been superfluous, or at least would have been limited to more precise boundaries within the uncertainty that we are all living with. Because Trump was clear about ending the war. He is opposed. Not for strategic reasons but for moral ones.
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Gazans sit down for a meal to break the fast during Ramadan
(Photo: Omar Al Qattaa / AFP)
Some ask, why not suspend the war until all of the hostages are released and then resume the fighting? That would be ideal if only it was possible, but it is not. Any other assumption would be a mistake and an underestimation of the enemy. Hamas has no interest in returning all of the hostages because that would give Israel the green light to destroy it and prepare Gaza to be rebuilt according to Trump's vision. It would also mean that Hamas would no longer be able to use the hostages as a political tool that brings Israelis out to the streets and increases Israeli polarization.
Hamas would demand international guarantees that the war would end. The United States would not provide such assurances. Trump posted an AI-generated clip showing Gaza in a way its residents could never imagine.
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Armed Hamas terrorists during a hostage release in Gaza
(Photo: Hatem Khaled / Reuters)
Egypt would also not provide a guarantee because it would not want trouble from its benefactor, the United States. Qatar would have a hard time providing such assurances because they would not be respected by the Americans or by Israel.
Even if you take Israel's interest to see Hamas destroyed out of the equation, there is no way to connect the dots and bring the war to an end. Israel was at a disadvantage in the negotiations with Hamas under the Biden administration, which did not provide the necessary support and even put obstacles in Israel's way. But then Trump announced his plan to remove the local Gazan population, was later shocked to see the condition of the hostages, and gave his backing to Israel to make its own decision regarding the Strip.
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There is no doubt that this backing affected the completion of the first phase of the cease-fire deal, with Israel's demands being met, including Hamas preventing mass chaos during release ceremonies and after the abomination in the return of the wrong body, Shiri Bibas's remains were returned. Israel also halted the release of prisoners and then dead hostages were returned without any Hamas staged ceremony.
Naveh DromiPhoto: Iliya MelnikovThis is little comfort and is not enough, but it can teach us that Hamas has begun to understand that with the new administration in place in the U.S., Israel's position has also changed. If that was not made clear before, the Trump-Zelensky meeting brought it home. When Hamas can observe what Trump is capable of and how serious he is, the terror group understands that there are limits to what it can do. Hamas realizes that Trump is serious about his plans for Gaza, no matter how they finally materialize, whether by emigration, removal or by the exile of Hamas leaders and others.
This new reality should put pressure on Hamas to extend phase one of the deal and release hostages while Israel pays a price but does not back down from its primary goal to destroy the terror group.
Arab nations were scheduled to meet in a summit last week to discuss Trump's plan for Gaza. Does anyone know where this summit stands? Perhaps the Arab leaders also realize this is not the right moment to come out against the American president.