Trusting Trump: Why Hamas Took the Big Risk of Giving Up Gaza Hostages

Post by : Saif Nasser

For many years, Hamas has spoken strongly against former U.S. President Donald Trump. They once called him a racist and a man whose ideas would bring only chaos to Gaza. Yet, in a surprising twist, Hamas has now placed a large amount of trust in him — enough to make one of the riskiest decisions in its history.

This week, Hamas agreed to release all its Israeli hostages without getting a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza in return. The decision came after Trump personally helped to broker a new ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas — one that could finally end the war that has lasted for almost two years.

But this move by Hamas is not without risk. The group knows that Israel could still attack again. The only reason Hamas agreed to move forward is because it believes that Trump can make Israel keep its promises — something no other leader has managed to do so far.

How Trump Gained Hamas’ Trust

According to Palestinian and U.S. officials who spoke with Reuters, the turning point came last month during a surprising phone call between Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

During that call, Trump apologized to Qatar for an Israeli airstrike that hit a residential area in Doha, where Hamas political leaders were staying. The attack had targeted senior Hamas figures but failed to kill them.

After the call, Hamas leaders were shocked but also impressed. Trump made Netanyahu apologize directly to Qatar, showing that he could stand up to the Israeli leader. To Hamas, this was proof that Trump had real influence over Israel and was willing to use it.

A Hamas official told Reuters that Trump’s handling of the Qatar strike gave the group new confidence in his ability to control the situation and push for peace.

The Ceasefire Deal and a Big Gamble

On Wednesday, Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire that began on Friday. The deal was pushed by the United States and supported by Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey.

Under the agreement, Hamas promised to release all hostages it had been holding since the war began, in exchange for Israel slowing its military operations and allowing limited aid into Gaza. However, Israel will still control about half of the Gaza Strip for now, and there is no written agreement guaranteeing that Israel will withdraw completely in the future.

Two Hamas officials told Reuters that this was a gamble — a risk based on Trump’s word rather than formal documents. “We know this could go wrong,” one of them said, “but Trump’s personal involvement gives us some hope.”

This shows how deeply involved Trump has been in the talks. According to a senior U.S. official, he called the negotiating room three times during the discussions held in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. His son-in-law Jared Kushner and adviser Steve Witkoff were also there, working between the Israeli and Qatari delegations.

Trump’s Style of Diplomacy

Trump’s approach to the Middle East has always been unusual. Many diplomats describe it as “direct and unpredictable.” But this time, his bold actions seemed to work.

Trump had earlier brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Iran in June, stopping a 12-day war. When Israeli warplanes were about to strike Iran, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform ordering them to “turn around and head home.”

To many observers, this showed that Trump could use his personal authority to stop conflicts quickly. Hamas noticed this, and it made them believe he could stop Israel if the war restarted in Gaza.

A Palestinian official in Gaza said, “He may act in a dramatic way, but he does what he says. That’s why we trusted him.”

How the Talks Unfolded

The peace talks started slowly. When Trump announced his 20-point plan for Gaza on September 29, during Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, Hamas gave its conditional approval four days later. But the actual discussions remained stuck for days.

The main issue was about timing — how fast Israel would withdraw troops so Hamas could safely hand over the hostages. Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey tried to mediate, but progress was slow.

Finally, Qatar’s Prime Minister decided to travel to Sharm el-Sheikh personally. Soon after, Kushner and Witkoff arrived, and the meetings began to move forward.

Turkey’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin also joined the talks. His presence was key because Turkey maintains close ties with Hamas and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had recently spoken with Trump about helping end the war.

By Wednesday afternoon, after long hours of discussion and Trump’s repeated phone calls, both sides agreed to a deal.

Why Hamas Changed Its Mind

For two years, Hamas had refused to release hostages unless Israel withdrew completely from Gaza. But this time, their strategy shifted.

According to U.S. and Palestinian sources, Hamas started to believe that holding onto hostages had become a weakness rather than a strength. International support for Palestinians was fading because the hostage issue made Hamas look like an obstacle to peace.

“Hamas began to realize that keeping hostages was hurting their image and not helping their cause,” one Palestinian official said.

They also knew that if they released the hostages, Israel would lose its main reason to continue military operations. That logic — combined with the promise of U.S. backing — convinced Hamas to sign.

No Written Guarantees

Still, the agreement is fragile. Hamas did not get any formal written guarantees or enforcement documents. Instead, they received only verbal assurances from Trump, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey that Israel would not attack again once the hostages were released.

“As far as we are concerned, this agreement ends the war,” one Hamas official said.

But the group knows the risk. A similar truce in January 2025 collapsed after Trump publicly demanded Hamas to release all hostages immediately or face renewed fighting. When the ceasefire broke down, over 16,000 Palestinians were killed, and a famine began in Gaza.

Hamas fears the same could happen again if Israel decides to restart operations or if Trump changes his position.

Can This Truce Last?

Many regional diplomats believe this ceasefire stands a better chance of lasting than previous ones. There is stronger international pressure on both sides this time, and Trump’s upcoming visit to the Middle East is expected to help keep the peace process alive.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi invited Trump for a “victory visit,” which analysts say was a clever diplomatic move to tie Trump’s reputation to the success of the ceasefire. If the truce fails, it would be seen as a personal loss for him — something Trump would likely work hard to avoid.

Hamas officials also sense a different mood this time. One said, “The Israelis came with seriousness. The Americans, Egyptians, Qataris, and Turks were all pushing for a real end to this war.”

A Deal Built on Trust — and Risk

For Hamas, the decision to release hostages without a full Israeli withdrawal is one of its biggest risks ever. The group is trusting a man they once called an enemy, hoping that his personal influence can stop Israel from breaking the deal.

For Trump, it’s a chance to prove his brand of personal diplomacy works — to show that bold phone calls and emotional promises can sometimes do what years of traditional peace talks could not.

But in the Middle East, peace rarely comes easily. The next few weeks will show whether this unusual trust between old enemies can truly bring an end to Gaza’s long and painful war.