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Reports surfaced Tuesday that Israel is on the cusp of reaching a deal with the terrorist group Hamas that would include terms for a ceasefire and the release of some of the Israeli hostages captured on October 7, 2023. Experts say the two sides wouldn’t be this close to a resolution without the strong words and actions of President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming administration.

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the parties “have agreed to the bigger points of the deal but were still working on some of the language hours into the meeting, including how soon a deal could become effective and the mechanism to implement it.”

One of the primary negotiators in the talks occurring in Doha, Qatar is Trump’s designated Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff. As WSJ noted, for the first time since the hostage crisis began some 466 days ago, a Hamas spokesperson said that “the deal was in its final stages.” Observers say that the deal could be finalised as soon as Tuesday.

Taking Trump Seriously

Last Monday, Daniel Cohen, news director at Real Life Network, joined Washington Watch with Tony Perkins from Israel to give further details about the ongoing negotiations.

“It’s cautious optimism,” he reported. “… [Hamas is] taking the threat of a President Trump when he speaks and the unpredictability — sometimes it’s good if a leader is. They knew all along what Joe Biden said, what he meant, what he didn’t mean, what [Secretary of State] Antony Blinken [meant] when he would threaten Israel and then Hamas would pull back from these negotiations. But they’re clearly taking President Trump’s ‘all hell will break loose’ threat seriously if the hostages aren’t released by [the] inauguration, which, by the way, is a week away.”

Cohen went on to emphasise that Trump’s envoy is leading the negotiations.

“The Biden team is there — I guess they’re sort of joining arms. But Steve Witkoff is the name of the man who’s been leading President Trump’s envoy. … [The] draft agreement [stipulates] a 42-day ceasefire, the release of 33 to 40 hostages, which include[s] two Americans, … It seems to me, sad, sick, [and] wrong that we have to negotiate with terrorists. But this is the state of play. This is where we are with the Biden administration. … And at this point, it sounds like Israel is bought in. And we’re waiting to hear from Mohammed Sinwar, [Yahya] Sinwar’s brother, about what Hamas wants to do with this.”

Cohen further noted that there are still significant differences that will likely need to be ironed out.

“The key sticking point is Hamas wants a permanent truce. Israel doesn’t want a permanent truce, they want a temporary pause. There are disagreements about where the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] would withdraw to … from Gaza. Hamas wants to reclaim northern Gaza. But … there’s a couple of strategic passes to make sure that [Israel is] able to contain what goes on and what goes in and what comes out. They want more humanitarian aid. Israel is fine with humanitarian aid. What they’re not fine with is a pause that allows Hamas to rearm.”

As Cohen went on to acknowledge, Israel may have to release dozens of terrorists in order for the deal to go through. “What I’m hearing, and again, this is etched in Jello, [is] that Israel [may have] to give up 50 terrorists in exchange for one hostage. … What do you do, right? Is the price too high? At what point does the price become too high? And everyone here in Israel is ready to really swallow hard and say, ‘We’ll pay the price if it means we get Israelis out that have been in for 465 days.’”

“[T]here are [Israelis] on the far right who say it’s too steep a price to pay,” Cohen continued. “Remember, Yahya Sinwar was in an Israeli prison. Yahya Sinwar had brain cancer. … Israeli doctors performed surgery. He was released from prison. And then he went on to mastermind the October 7th terror attack. Is there another Yahya Sinwar as part of this release?”

“But I think big picture, we have to look at it this way,” Cohen argued. “The Netanyahu government and Israel’s enemies know the difference between an administration that has President Biden as the big brother, kind of standing over their shoulder and a President Trump. There’s no fear of President Biden. I mean, Antony Blinken, the secretary of State, made a shocking admission in an interview last week saying when we would pressure Israel publicly, Hamas would back off from a hostage ceasefire deal.

“[T]hey were not a friend to Israel. … President Biden is about to leave office, having done very little to nothing to free the Americans [who] have been held hostage for 465 days. … We’ll see what happens. But if there are hostages coming back next week, which happens to be when President Trump is sworn in for a second term, then we’ll know that they took the threat from President Trump seriously.”

Human Tragedy

Cohen additionally discussed the tragic details of the hostages still in captivity. “The youngest hostage is a one-year-old. His name is Kfir Bibas. … He was taken on October 7th at nine months of age. He’s now been a hostage longer than he’s not been a hostage, and he turns two years old in five days. … It’s sad. I don’t know why there aren’t more world leaders pressuring Hamas like they’ve been pressuring Israel to come to a deal. … [W]e’re talking about women. We’re talking about seniors. We’re not talking about the release of men. Hamas has refused to provide not only proof of life, but proof of names.”

Cohen also pointed out how the continued Israeli death toll in Gaza has barely made headlines. “While everyone was talking about California and the epic failure of Governor [Gavin] Newsom and Mayor [Karen] Bass and the wildfires, there were five IDF soldiers killed in Gaza today. … The death toll for the IDF and for Israeli forces is 804.”

Cohen concluded by observing that steadfast support for the Jewish state from America is the most effective means of securing peace in the Middle East.

“What could President Trump do? … [I]f it’s technology, if it’s weaponry, if it’s personnel, but sometimes it’s just knowing big brother is standing over your shoulder watching over you. That speaks volumes in the Middle East, where the only language they speak is power. That is the language. Who’s stronger, you or me? Who is more powerful?”