The situation at a glance
Struggle over hostage deal before Trump’s swearing in
International mediators are trying to bring about a ceasefire in the bloody Gaza war and the release of the Hamas hostages. Will there be a breakthrough in the last few days before Trump takes office?
A few days before Donald Trump’s inauguration in the USA, the deputy of the future president of the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas threatened serious consequences. If the Islamists refuse to make a deal with Israel and do not release all the hostages they hold before Trump’s swearing in on January 20th, the next US administration will take drastic steps, promised Trump’s designated deputy JD Vance. Both he and the national security advisor to the outgoing US President Joe Biden were hopeful that a breakthrough could be achieved this week.
Trump reiterated last week that “all hell will break loose” in the Middle East if the hostages aren’t back home by the time he takes office, “and that won’t be good for Hamas and, frankly, it won’t be good for anyone be good”.
“Very aggressive sanctions and financial penalties”
Vance was now asked by the conservative US television station Fox News what exactly Trump meant by that. His answer: “That means enabling the Israelis to eliminate the last battalions of Hamas and its leadership. It means very aggressive sanctions and financial penalties for all those who support terrorist organizations in the Middle East. It means abandoning American ones “To really get the leadership done” – just like Trump did in his first term in office from 2017 to 2021.
According to Vance, the Trump camp is “hopeful that a deal will be done at the very end of Biden’s administration, perhaps on the last or second to last day.” Whatever this deal looks like, it will be because “people are terribly afraid that it will (otherwise) have consequences for Hamas,” says the Republican.
Security advisor Sullivan: “We are very, very close”
Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan expressed cautious optimism over the weekend about a possible deal for a ceasefire and hostage release. “We are very, very close,” Sullivan told CNN. “We remain committed to using every day we are in office to get this done.” But it could also be that Hamas in particular will not move in the end, “as has happened so many times” – and no agreement will be reached before the change of power on January 20th.
Trump’s security adviser Mike Waltz told ABC News that a quick agreement would be in the interests of the Palestinian organization. Any deal after Trump takes office will only be worse for the now “completely isolated” Hamas than what is currently on the table.
Biden speaks with Netanyahu – negotiations in Doha
Outgoing US President Biden appears determined to reach a ceasefire in the devastating Gaza war and a deal to release the Hamas hostages before the end of his term in office. In a conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu, he also urged the Israeli prime minister to increase humanitarian aid, the White House said. According to his office, Netanyahu mentioned “progress” in negotiations for the release of the hostages and informed Biden about the mandate he gave his negotiators for their talks in Qatar and a possible deal with Hamas.
A high-ranking Israeli delegation had previously arrived in the Qatari capital Doha for new talks. It was reported from negotiating circles that the head of the Israeli foreign secret service Mossad, David Barnea, and the head of the Shin Bet domestic secret service, Ronen Bar, would once again be there.
The indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, in which Qatar, Egypt and the USA are also mediating, are primarily about a ceasefire and an exchange of Palestinian prisoners for the Hamas hostages who continue to be held captive in the Gaza Strip.
Hostage relatives see “historic opportunity”
The Hostage Families Forum spoke of a “historic opportunity” to secure the release of the abductees. At the weekend, thousands of Israelis demonstrated again for an end to the war and the release of the hostages. However, critics accuse Netanyahu of having no interest in a deal with Hamas because his ultra-right coalition partners insist on the complete destruction of the Islamist terrorist organization – and his political survival depends on them.
In the attack by Hamas and allied terrorists on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 others were abducted to the Gaza Strip. There are now 98 hostages still in the coastal area, although it is assumed that at least a third of them are already dead.
Among the hostages are four Israelis who have been in the hands of Hamas for a decade – including two soldiers who were killed and whose remains are only being returned. According to Israeli information, of the 94 people kidnapped on October 7, 2023, 81 are men, 11 women and 2 children under the age of five. Several hostages have German citizenship.
Will Hamas give in?
Israeli expert Avi Melamed believes that Trump’s dramatic rhetoric will have little effect on Hamas, as the organization has already suffered serious setbacks in the Gaza war. However, Trump could put diplomatic pressure on countries like Turkey and Arab states that harbor Hamas leaders. He could also advocate for a multinational Arab force, together with a reformed Palestinian Authority, to ensure security in the Gaza Strip after the war. “The key to weakening Hamas is to completely destroy its hopes of returning to political control in Gaza,” Melamed wrote.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
