Only the sketchiest details are emerging, but Israel and Hamas seem to have agreed at long last to a ceasefire and hostage return. As the Israel Defense Force (IDF) has decisively achieved the upper hand diplomatically and militarily in Gaza, in northern Israel against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, and in Yemen against the Iran-proxy Houthi rebels, Hamas had little to gain by prolonging the fight.
Ceasefire in Gaza Imminent
At the one-year anniversary of Hamas' murderous October 7 attack on Israel, vicious fighting continued throughout Gaza, and there appeared little hope of a resolution. Reporting from the region is cautiously positive now, however, but nothing has been signed. "The deal has to be ratified by Israeli officials, and neither side had officially endorsed the agreement as of Wednesday [Jan. 15] afternoon," the Daily Caller explained. As always, when attempting to negotiate with terrorists, there often is a last-minute speed bump in getting the deal sealed.
In its coverage of the latest developments in the ceasefire talks, The New York Times explained:
"Neither Israel nor Hamas has publicly endorsed the agreement, but the Palestinian group said on Tuesday that the negotiations had entered their 'final stages,' and Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said on Wednesday evening that he was returning early from a trip abroad to join cabinet discussions about the hostages. Hamas said in a statement on Wednesday evening that it had responded to the proposed deal without clarifying further."
The Jerusalem Post revealed that the Hamas terrorist negotiators had raised new demands regarding the Philadelphi Corridor, a patch of land that marks the border between Gaza and Egypt. Where that line should be drawn on the map has been a sticking point in the Israel-Hamas talks for months. "The Israeli negotiating team was recently informed that Hamas decided at the last minute to make new demands -- this time regarding the Philadelphi corridor, in contrast to the maps that have already been approved by the cabinet and American mediators," The Post reported. "Israel strongly opposed any changes to these maps, the source said." Israel maintains that any change in the geographic position of the Philadelphi corridor that makes moving arms and munitions to Hamas easier is a non-starter. The IDF wants total control over the strip of land to ensure that Hamas is not rearmed or supported in any way.
Additionally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Hamas of trying to back out of the deal, according to early reports Thursday morning. Still, despite these hiccups, the rest of the parties to the agreement believe it is going forward.
In an Associated Press video, President Joe Biden, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, credited his administration’s negotiating, recently including President-elect Donald Trump's designated special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, with a diplomatic win in getting the phased ceasefire and hostage release. Biden explained that "this deal was developed and negotiated under my administration, but its terms will be implemented, for the most part, by the next administration. In the past few days, we've been speaking as one team."
In the last several months, much has happened that has changed the Israeli-Hamas conflict landscape, weakening the terrorists' negotiating position. The IDF offensive against Hezbollah has all but eliminated the Lebanon-based terrorists as a source of support for Hamas. Dictator Bashar al-Assad's Syria, once a haven for Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed proxies, is no more. A continuous assault by the IDF on Hamas leadership has reduced the organization to a poorly coordinated assortment of individuals and small groups of fighters. When Hamas foot soldiers appear, they are killed or captured quickly. The terrorist cohort remains dangerous, but it is now a shadow of its former self. Iran, which Hamas could count on for continuous arms and supplies, is no longer able to provide such support. Then there was the November re-election of Donald Trump.
Trump, Influential in Negotiations
Not long after becoming president-elect, Trump weighed in on the situation with a clarity only he could communicate. He simply said that if the hostages held by Hamas were not returned by the time he takes office, "there will be all hell to pay." Trump believes there is an agreement:
"This EPIC ceasefire 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."
The last Hamas leader standing, Muhammad Sinwar, would do well not to disappoint Trump and his national security team. The new president has shown in the past that he has little patience for terrorists.
The views expressed are those of the author and not of any other affiliate.
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