Trump credited with Hamas concessions

 Jeff Charles:

President-elect Donald Trump could be on the verge of winning his first foreign policy win in his second term--even before he takes office.

As the Israel-Hamas conflict continues in the Gaza Strip, the terrorist group has signaled that they are willing to give concessions during ceasefire discussions. This change of heart was reportedly prompted by the president-elect’s harsh rhetoric toward Hamas, particularly related to American hostages that the organization still holds.

A senior Biden administration official (who spoke anonymously) acknowledged the role Trump played in the negotiations. “Trump's warning that he wants to see a deal before he takes office was ‘a big factor’ in recent concessions,” the individual told NBC News.

Hamas has reportedly agreed to allow Israeli forces to remain in Gaza temporarily after the conflict is concluded. It also provided a list of hostages they still have in their custody, including American citizens. This marks the first, significant progress toward a ceasefire agreement since the war began on October 7, 2023.

These concessions come after months of deadlock. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan noted that the terrorist group “was waiting for lots of other actors and forces to come to their rescue…we had a different character to the negotiation, and we believe that it puts us in a position to be able to close this negotiation,” according to The Wall Street Journal.

Earlier in December, Trump wrote a post on Truth Social, issuing a scathing threat to Hamas about the hostages:

“Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire world, in the Middle East — but it’s all talk, and no action! If the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against humanity.”

... 

Hamas obviously fears the consequences that Trump would impose on them.  They probably still remember that when Trump was in office he took out a senior leader of a terrorist group. A threat from Trump is more effective than diplomacy at this point.

See also:

'The Trump Effect' in Foreign Policy is Real and It's Growing

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