Hamas finds hope in Trump’s first day in office

A senior Hamas official has told Newsweek that the Palestinian movement was surprisingly encouraged by the comments made by President Donald Trump during his inaugural speech and expressed hope he would commit to lasting peace and stability in the Gaza Strip.

“It is striking that Israel was not mentioned in the president’s inauguration speech, which is unusual, and that the president does not want wars and seeks to achieve peace,” Hamas Political Bureau member and spokesperson Basem Naim told Newsweek.

“We hope that the president will build his vision for the future of the region and its stability on ending the occupation and achieving the just rights of the Palestinian people, which are established in international laws and resolutions,” Naim added,”and that he will realize that there is no stability, security or prosperity in the region without resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”

Newsweek reached out to the Israeli Consulate General in New York and the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office for comment on Tuesday.

Why It Matters

Even prior to coming to office, Trump took credit for the deal announced last Wednesday that put a temporary halt to the war raging between Israel and Hamas since October 2023 and initiated a series of prisoner exchanges. Last month, his team joined the negotiations overseen by President Joe Biden‘s outgoing administration, playing an influential role in securing a breakthrough.

“We will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end, and, perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into,” Trump said in the lead-up to his only reference to the war in Gaza throughout this 30-minute address on Monday.

“My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier. That’s what I want to be. A peacemaker and a unifier,” he continued. “I’m pleased to say that as of yesterday, one day before I assumed office, the hostages in the Middle East are coming back home to their families.”

But as the first phase of the agreement first outlined by Biden last May is set to only last for six weeks, uncertainties surround the transition to the second phase, which would entail further swaps and a total Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. A recent escalation of Israeli operations in the West Bank has also tested the fragile deal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, has repeatedly vowed to continue the war unless Hamas was entirely defeated in addition to all hostages being freed and the neutralization of Gaza as a future threat to Israel.

“I look forward to working with you to return the remaining hostages, to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and end its political rule in Gaza, and to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu said in video remarks congratulating Trump on his inauguration on Monday.

What To Know

That first swap on Sunday saw three Israeli hostages and around 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees freed. Hamas has since confirmed that the next batch of hostages would be traded for more imprisoned Palestinians this upcoming Saturday, an expectation also voiced Monday by Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who played a direct role in the negotiations, during a post-inaugural rally at Capital One Arena.

At that event, Trump again spoke to the plight of the nearly 100 hostages still believed to be in Hamas captivity, bringing some of their family members on stage for the entire duration of his follow-up remarks to a stadium full of supporters.

“As you know, Israel would have never been hit on October 7th and none of you would be up here,” Trump said. “None of you would even know anything about this tragedy that you’re going through right now.”

The newly sworn-in U.S. leader argued that Iran was “broke” under his previous administration and did not have money to fund Hamas or the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, one of several Tehran-led Axis of Resistance factions to join the conflict that spread across the region over the past 15 months.

“Your sons would be alive, and they certainly wouldn’t be incarcerated like they are,” Trump said. “It’s a shame. But we’re getting a lot of people out in a short period of time.”

And while Trump continued to tout his team’s role in securing the hostage release deal, he also distanced himself from the conflict itself, later telling reporters gathered at the Oval Office that he was “not confident” he could maintain the ceasefire.

“That’s not our war. It’s their war. But I think they are very weakened on the other side.” Trump said. “I looked at a picture of Gaza, Gaza is like a massive demolition site…It’s got to be rebuilt in a different way.”

He went on to open the door for a potential U.S. role in rebuilding the war-torn Palestinian territory and suggested that Hamas could not have a role in governance as “most of them are dead,” and “they did not exactly run it well, [it was] run viciously and badly.”

What People Are Saying

President Trump on the prospect of rebuilding Gaza during an Oval Office press conference on Monday: “Gaza is interesting. It’s a phenomenal location, on the sea, the best weather … everything’s good, but some beautiful things could be done with it.”

U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff at the post-inaugural rally on Monday: “The principles President Trump has laid out for our approach to the Middle East and foreign policy in general are four-fold and they are clear.

One, respect for sovereignty. Every nation deserves the right to determine its own destiny, free from the interference of external powers.

Two, economic prosperity as a bridge to stability. Through economic partnerships and investment, we can build a foundation for cooperation that transcends historical grievances.

Three, courageous diplomacy. Real progress requires difficult conversations and bold decisions, and it is through these that trust is built and maintained.

And finally, four, reciprocity and accountability. The United States requires reciprocal actions from our partners. We are done carrying the financial burden for nations that are unwilling to fund their own progress. The days of blank checks are over.”

What Happens Next

As clashes subside in Gaza, the intensification of Israeli attacks in the West Bank could prompt renewed unrest as Hamas and other Palestinian factions call for open confrontations with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

In addition to stirring new tensions, an eruption of new violence in the West Bank could also further undermine the waning legitimacy of the Palestinian National Authority (PA), led by President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas’ two-decade reign over the PA, from which Hamas split in 2007, has already been met with growing skepticism among Palestinians who have accused his administration of corruption, collaboration with Israel and refusal to hold new elections.

The Biden administration foresaw a role for the PA in administering post-war Gaza, though Netanyahu has voiced opposition to such a measure. Trump has yet to reveal his own plans for the future governance of Gaza or the West Bank, though Saudi Arabia has named a commitment to securing Palestinian statehood as a prerequisite to normalizing the kingdom’s relationship with Israel, another goal of the new administration that eluded its predecessor.