Hamas Is Out

In a report from the Jewish News Syndicate we hear from the US special envoy concerning the negotiations for the ceasefire:

Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, said on Tuesday that removing Hamas from power in Gaza was a “red line” for the Trump administration as Israel and Hamas prepare for the next round of ceasefire negotiations.

Witkoff has high hopes for a second phase of the current deal:

Speaking at the launch of the American Jewish Committee’s Center for a New Middle East in Washington, Witkoff told attendees that “Phase 2” of those negotiations could begin as soon as Sunday.

“That’s what we’re hoping for, put Phase 2 on track,” Witkoff said. “Have some additional hostages released and we think that that’s a real possibility.”

If approved, Israel will totally leave the Gaza Strip and receive the remaining hostages:

Under the terms negotiated by the Biden administration, Phase 2 of the ceasefire would include a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of the remaining living hostages, most of whom are male soldiers, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Witkoff says that because the negotiator still have things work out:

Witkoff delayed a planned trip to the Middle East on Wednesday until the negotiators could resolve the “boundaries” and “contours” of the talks.

The envoy emphasized that Hamas will not govern in the area and during the rebuilding the citizens will need to relocate:

“Central to the May 27 protocol that was signed by the Biden administration and the Israelis, central to that is that Hamas cannot have any part of any governing structure in Gaza,” Witkoff said. “That’s a red line for the Israelis, but it’s a red line for us.”

The real estate billionaire-turned-diplomat, who described himself as “very close friends” with U.S. President Donald Trump, also described more of Trump’s plan to redevelop Gaza and relocate the Palestinians living there to third countries.

He reiterated Trump’s reasoning on going a new direction in the area:

“We’ve rebuilt Gaza three or four times and that’s just an unacceptable use of resources,” Witkoff said. “We need to get rid of this crazy, ideological, psychopathic way of thinking that Hamas thinks.”

The End To The Two State Solution

This approach will put an end to the state solution which both he and Trump agree is not going to work:

Trump’s statements about the Middle East frequently break with positions that have dominated U.S. policy towards the region for decades in both Republican and Democratic administrations, including about the need for a “two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Witkoff said he believed that the fresh approach could lead to the normalization of Israel’s relations with countries throughout the region.

“People talk about two states,” he said. “We at the Trump administration talk about, ‘How do you get to a better life?’”

Rebuilding Gaza is a big key to the plan, but wonders if the Gazans have the patience to wait:

The Biden administration’s ceasefire deal assumed a five-year rebuilding plan for Gaza that the Trump administration believes cannot be implemented, according to Witkoff. That timeframe in turn informs its belief that Palestinians cannot remain in the enclave while it is being rebuilt.

“Once you begin to think of that as a 15- or a 20-year deal, this almost begs the question, ‘Are Gazans going to wait? Do they even want to wait?’” he said.

Witkoff thinks other Arab states will come onboard:

“Right now, Gaza is a long-term redevelopment plan, and I think once the Saudis begin to incorporate that into their thinking and the Egyptians and the UAE and everybody who has a vested interest in Gaza, I think you’re going to see development plans that more mirror the way the President is thinking,” Witkoff added.

With Lebanese Hezbollah deeply weakened and with a new regime in charge in Syria, the presidential envoy said that Israel could unlock deals not only with Saudi Arabia but with its northern neighbors as well.

“Lebanon could actually normalize and come into the Abraham peace accords, as could even potentially Syria,” he said. “So many profound changes are happening now, and yet it’s been a flash point for the conflict, and I think that there’s a possibility that we end it now.”

The man in charge of the event noted this:

Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, told JNS that Witkoff described “a new way of thinking about the region.”

“It is one that contains a vision for the entire region—not just Gaza—but the entire region that is more hopeful and more integrated, in which Israel is accepted, and which would be beneficial for Israel, for the region, for Saudi Arabia, for the world economy,” Deutch said.

If these plans unfold it could radically change everything in the Middle East and Trump would be seen as a true hero to those wanting to live a better life. But will it work? I guarantee you that if all the things Witkoff describes begins to take hold in the area and it looks like the war will end without Hamas able to stop it, Iran and all its proxies will have their own plan to upset the deal by trying to destroy Israel first. They tried and failed at pulling off another October 7th when three bombs exploded on three buses in Israel. There was talk of nine others planned, but it was an attempt, nevertheless. Peace in the Middle East will take more than building Gaza into a seaside paradise. People’s hearts must change and when I read Bible prophecy I see an explosion of attacks on Israel and in their response, they will obliterate Hamas, Hezbollah and all the Iranian proxies. And in the rebuilding process Israel will root out the terrorists, their tunnels, and all their military which could also take years. There is hope it can be done diplomatically, but I don’t see it. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, friends. It’s most likely things will get worse before it gets better.