January 14, 2025
By Nasser Kandil
• In his quest to craft an aura of invincibility and a strongman image, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum, threatening a Middle Eastern inferno if the issue of prisoners in Gaza wasn’t resolved before his inauguration. This threat turned the situation into a burden for Trump himself, as he couldn’t afford to step into the White House with the stain of failure while maintaining the uncompromising stature he seeks to project.
• In reality, Trump’s threats to Hamas neither intimidate nor alter its stance. The “inferno” he warns of is already the grim reality in Gaza; there’s no greater hell than the one currently endured. Washington has already provided everything it can to support the occupying entity’s military, and Hamas has shown all the flexibility it can in negotiations, as it shares an interest in reaching a deal to end the war. However, Hamas remains steadfast in its refusal to relinquish its prisoners without guarantees for ending the war and securing a full withdrawal from Gaza.
• Since the start of the year, Trump seemed to recognise the limits of his threats, prompting his team to search for a dignified resolution. They sought a way to ensure Trump’s demand, to resolve the prisoner issue, was met before his inauguration, allowing him to claim the success of his threats and bolster his image as a strong leader.
• Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrived to assist in the negotiations alongside Biden advisor Brett McGurk. Witkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek his cooperation in finalising the deal before January 20th, Trump’s inauguration day.
• Reports from Doha, where the negotiations are taking place, indicate significant progress, bringing the agreement within reach. Hamas sources affirm their openness to concluding the talks and their willingness to show the necessary flexibility, including accepting proposals that restructure the implementation phases. These adjustments are aimed at facilitating approval from the occupying entity’s government. However, Hamas remains firm on the core principles: any agreement must serve as a pathway to ending the war and ensuring the complete withdrawal of occupying forces from Gaza. These principles are non-negotiable, except in terms of setting timelines for their fulfillment.
• Media reports from the occupying entity suggest that intensive high-level meetings are being held under Netanyahu’s leadership to address the negotiations. Simultaneously, a full delegation representing the entity’s security, military, and government institutions has arrived in Doha, underscoring the imminence of the agreement.
• What underscores the resistance’s victory in these negotiations is the fact that the fate of the resistance and its weapons are not on the table.
