The New York Post reports that, after well over a year, there is sudden progress on getting Hamas to release the remaining Israeli and American hostages:
Israel and Hamas reached a significant “breakthrough” in cease-fire talks early Monday in a deal that aims to finally end more than 15 months of war and bring home the remaining hostages.
Talks held in Qatar — and attended by envoys of both President Biden and President-elect Donald Trump — went into the early hours Monday, with Hamas teasing the release of many of its terrorists captured by Israel.
It is remarkable that Trump, not yet inaugurated, is participating directly in these negotiations. I’m surprised the Democrats aren’t complaining that it violates the Logan Act. I only hope that Trump and his team insist on a full accounting for every hostage that Gaza took on October 7–no “deal” based on unproven assertions by Hamas.
Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 has long been seen as a deadline to reach a deal, with the president-elect having warned Hamas there would be “hell to pay” if the hostages are not released.
Hamas didn’t fear Biden, in part, no doubt, because Biden and his administration devoted more effort to restraining Israel than to destroying Hamas. Hamas evidently does fear Trump. This is one of several instances where Trump has gotten more done as president-elect than Biden was able to accomplish in four years in office.
