Things certainly didn’t unfold as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had envisioned.
Just days earlier, the Israeli leader believed he had secured a decisive peace plan from President Trump. This plan was designed as an ultimatum to Hamas: release all Israeli hostages within 72 hours, disarm, and relinquish any future role in Gaza’s governance. Failure to comply would grant Israel unfettered freedom to dismantle the group entirely.
However, by Friday, Hamas’s response to Trump’s latest ultimatum threw a wrench into Netanyahu’s expectations. The militant group declared its readiness to release all hostages but remained vague on a timeline, sidestepped the issue of disarmament, and expressed a desire to “discuss the details” of the plan, rather than accept it outright.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch ally of Netanyahu, quickly interpreted Hamas’s statement as a de facto rejection of the presidential proposal.
Michael Herzog, Israel’s former ambassador to the U.S., echoed this sentiment, describing Hamas’s reply as “a ‘no’ cloaked as a ‘yes’.”
A photograph taken at the White House last week shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and President Trump standing at lecterns, seemingly united in their initial peace efforts.
Despite these cautious interpretations, President Trump openly embraced Hamas’s statement as an unequivocal “yes.” He declared on social media, “Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE.” He further urged, “Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!”
The tense anticipation surrounding these developments was captured in an image from Tel Aviv, showing a woman gazing at a prominent clock ticking away the days hostages have been held in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s office, after a noticeable silence lasting until early Saturday morning, eventually issued a response. It affirmed Israel’s readiness for the “immediate release of all hostages,” conspicuously omitting any mention of Hamas’s stated conditions. Instead, the statement circled back to Trump’s original peace plan, emphasizing Israel’s commitment to cooperate with the White House “to end the war in accordance with the principles set forth by Israel that are consistent with President Trump’s vision.”
Across both Israel and Gaza, the glimmer of hope for the hostages’ return and an end to nearly two years of brutal conflict and devastation was palpable following Saturday’s developments.
This sudden shift has left Netanyahu in a tight spot, caught between pressing domestic political concerns and mounting geopolitical pressure. Not only is he facing demands from President Trump and a unified chorus of Muslim and Arab nations across the Middle East, but countries worldwide are also celebrating Friday night’s events as a breakthrough to peace.
“He will find himself with the entire world clapping, and he needs to explain why he’s against it,” commented Eran Etzion, a former deputy Israeli national security adviser, highlighting Netanyahu’s difficult position.
Etzion further suggested that Trump’s demand for an immediate Israeli military stand-down, followed by negotiations directly between Israel and Hamas, was likely unwelcome. “These negotiations will be conducted under the conditions of a cease-fire, which is contrary to Netanyahu’s design,” he explained, noting that the Prime Minister had sought to maintain military pressure during any discussions.
The unfolding situation also poses a significant threat to Netanyahu’s ruling coalition. His right-wing allies had previously been apprised, via Trump’s initial proposal, that their aspirations for a permanent Palestinian exodus from Gaza and subsequent Israeli settlement and annexation of the territory would need to be abandoned. Now, they face the harsh reality that Hamas might not be eradicated and may even refuse to disarm.
“I don’t see how his coalition partners can live with that,” stated Shira Efron, an Israeli policy analyst at RAND Corporation, underscoring the potential for a political crisis.
Efron acknowledged that Netanyahu could attempt to frame these developments as an achievement, emphasizing that the Trump plan promises an end to the war, the return of hostages, the replacement of Hamas with a new governing entity in Gaza, and the involvement of Arab and Muslim nations in the enclave’s stabilization and reconstruction.
However, she concluded, “But his partners were hoping for a different story. An unrealistic story.”