Trump's Diplomatic Gambit: A New Era for Palestinian-Israeli Relations?
Since Donald Trump's return to the White House, the world has been witnessing a unique and unconventional diplomatic approach, marked by unilateral decisions, one-sided "deals," and shocking statements published on Truth Social, a microblogging platform owned by the Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG).
This was evident when the President of the world's leading military power recently shared and positively commented on a statement from the Palestinian militant movement Hamas on his social media platform, defying expectations and surprising many.
"In light of the statement just released by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting peace. Israel must immediately stop the bombings in Gaza, so we can quickly and safely release the hostages," Trump wrote in a message on Truth Social, later posted on the official White House account on the social media platform X. This move was likely to infuriate the extreme right-wing Zionist lobby, particularly during the Shabbat, and cause them sleepless nights.
This call to cease hostilities is a gesture that Trump, like his predecessor Joe Biden, had never made since 2023. The symbolic move not only rehabilitates Hamas, an organization labeled as "terrorist" by the US and its allies, but also puts the Israeli Prime Minister in a difficult position, further isolating him internationally.
Conventional American diplomacy has always been guided by an inflexible principle: "Do not negotiate with terrorist groups." However, by sharing Hamas's statement on his social media platform, Trump is effectively nullifying the "terrorism" label attached to the Palestinian resistance movement's leader, offering Hamas leaders an honorable exit and a direct line to negotiate with the US President through social media platforms (Telegram for Hamas, Truth Social for Trump).
With this initiative, Trump is not only acknowledging Hamas's political victory but also sealing the ethical defeat of a Zionist government that has been disavowed by many countries worldwide and diplomatically denounced by several nations.
Now, there is no need for intermediaries or mediators to approach the American magnate. By declaring their readiness for immediate negotiations on the multi-platform instant messaging app Telegram, aimed at liberating Israeli hostages held in Gaza and ending the war, Hamas leaders are bypassing the Israeli government's misleading discourse and gaining unexpected recognition from Washington as a credible and indispensable political actor in the pursuit of lasting peace in the region.
In their response, the Palestinian movement expressed willingness to release the 47 hostages, both alive and dead. Although Hamas did not mention its own disarmament or surrender, it called for a "complete withdrawal" of the Zionist occupation army from the enclave and preferred an "independent Palestinian body" for the future governance of the besieged territory.
In a clearly improvised video released on the evening of the same day, after reproducing the Palestinian faction's press release, the US President hinted at his joy: "It's a great day, we'll see how it turns out," summarizing his reaction as "a special day, perhaps without precedent." He also congratulated all the Arab countries that contributed to this moment.
"Everyone has been unified in the desire to see the war end and see peace in the Middle East," Trump added in his video, expecting a rapid release of the hostages. "We are very close to achieving it. Thank you to everyone, and everyone will be treated fairly."
Certainly, many criticize Hamas leaders, particularly those of its armed branch, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, as well as other factions of the Palestinian resistance in Gaza, for the heavy human toll – over 67,000 deaths, mostly civilians, between endless massacres and serial carnage – and the total destruction of the besieged territory under intense and inhumane Zionist airstrikes.
However, detractors of the armed struggle of the resistance ignore that without the October 7, 2023, shockwave, the drama and daily calvary of the Palestinian people would have been definitively engulfed, or even buried, in the wave of normalizations with Israel under the umbrella of the Abraham Accords.
At least, Hamas and its allies have the merit of having put the Palestinian cause back in the spotlight and exposed the cruelty of Zionist war criminals and their infernal and genocidal war machine, dominated by extremists and supremacists, such as the diabolical leader of the far-right party Otzma Yehudit, Itamar Ben Gvir, or the notorious Minister of Finance and leader of the extreme right-wing party Mafdal.
No doubt, Hamas is today militarily and institutionally weakened after the assassination of several of its leaders (Ismail Haniyeh, Mohammed Deif, Yahia Sinwar, Abu Obeida, etc.) and cadres; but politically speaking, this standard-bearer of the Palestinian resistance is more alive than ever in the minds of righteous souls, with an increasingly noticeable presence in the occupied West Bank and the aura of "warriors" in the image of the "maquisards" of the French resistance against Nazi soldiers during World War II or the "fellagas" of the FLN against the French army of General Marcel Bigeard during the Algerian War of Independence between 1954 and 1962.
Assuredly, the names of the freedom fighters of the Palestinian resistance and its martyrs are now inscribed in the pantheon of immortal heroes. Long live Palestine!
