Trump's Back Channel Finds Hamas Open to Disarmament After… Twenty Years?
Al-Monitor, citing an intermediary for Donald Trump, reports Hamas hinted it might cede 'heavy weapons' in a disarmament deal. This comes after Hamas has governed Gaza, under Israeli blockade, since 2007, amidst countless 'negotiation efforts' that mostly involved Israel leveling more infrastructure. One might wonder why, after literally generations of death and destruction, this possibility
surfaces now, via a 'back channel' from a former president. This 'news' conveniently emerges as the current US administration—which, through various arms packages and vetoes, has been the primary enabler of Netanyahu's government—struggles to articulate a coherent 'day after' plan for Gaza. Perhaps the strategy is to float a non-starter from a prospective opposition candidate, thus making the
current administration’s inaction look slightly less catastrophic? Or, perhaps, it’s a brilliant strategy to delay any substantial action until Gazans are left with nothing but sand.