Hamas relented in Gaza ceasefire talks under Trump pressure, source says

Pressure from President-elect Donald Trump was a major factor in Hamas relenting on two key issues during cease-fire and hostage-release talks with Israel, a senior administration official told NBC News on Friday.

Pressure from President-elect Donald Trump was a major factor in Hamas relenting on two key issues during cease-fire and hostage-release talks with Israel, a senior administration official told NBC News on Friday.

New hope for an agreement had senior Biden administration officials fanning out across the Middle East this week with the goal of closing on a critical pact by the end of 2024. 

According to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media, Hamas has now agreed to Israeli forces staying in the Gaza Strip temporarily after fighting ends and to provide a complete list of hostages, including Americans, who will be released. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on the concessions Hamas was prepared to make.

A congratulatory billboard in Tel Aviv shows Trump.Amir Levy / Getty Images“There is a confidence we have not seen since May when the president [Joe Biden] presented his proposal,” the Biden administration official told NBC News, acknowledging that Trump's warning that he wants to see a deal before he takes office was “a big factor” in recent concessions.

Not everybody shared this optimism.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hamas-israel-trump-gaza-hostage-ceasefire-rcna184143

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