‘One extraordinary phone call’ convinced Hamas to trust Trump and give up leverage
Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza – and the ceasefire which came into force today – relies on Hamas trusting the US president.
Given that the group has called him a racist, a “recipe for chaos” and a man with an absurd vision for Gaza in the past, it seemed unlikely until recently.
But, according to a Reuters report, “one extraordinary phone call” last month was crucial in persuading Hamas to surrender its remaining Israeli hostages – and only leverage in this war, two Palestinian sources told the news agency.
What happened after Qatar strikes?
During the call, Trump put Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone after a meeting at the White House in September.
The US leader got Netanyahu to apologise to Qatar’s prime minister for an Israeli strike on a residential complex that housed Hamas’s political leaders in the capital Doha.
Trump’s handling of the Qatar bombing, which failed to kill the Hamas officials it targeted, including lead negotiator Khalil al Hayya, gave Hamas more faith he was able to stand up to Netanyahu and that he was serious about ending the war in Gaza, the two officials told Reuters.
Watch below: Trump’s White House press secretary made it clear he and the US disapproved of Israel’s Qatar strikes in September
Hamas’s hostage gamble
After signing up to this week’s US-brokered peace plan, the militant group has put further faith in the word of Trump – who only this year proposed expelling Palestinians from Gaza and rebuilding it as a US-controlled holiday resort.
Hamas agreed to give up its hostages without an agreement on full Israeli withdrawal, under the terms of the deal.
Two other Palestinian officials, from Hamas, acknowledged to Reuters that was a risky gamble which relies on Trump being so invested in the deal he will not let it fail.
Hamas leaders are well aware the gamble could backfire, one of the Hamas officials told the agency.
Plenty of Hamas members still fear that, once the hostages are released, Israel could resume its military campaign, as happened after a January ceasefire that Trump’s team had also been closely involved in.
Trump sealed deal with calls to Egypt
However, gathered for indirect talks with Israel in a conference centre in the Sharm el-Sheikh Red Sea resort, Hamas was reassured enough by the presence of close Trump allies and regional heavyweights to sign up to the ceasefire – even though it leaves many of the group’s core demands unresolved, including moves towards a Palestinian state.
Trump’s eagerness was felt “heavily” in the conference centre, one of the Hamas officials told Reuters.
He personally called three times during the marathon session, a senior US official added, with his son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff shuttling between Israeli and Qatari negotiators to relay his messages.
Hostage release countdown begins – as Hamas poses potential challenge to peace plan
