ALBAWABA - Hamas's unexpected support for U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza on Saturday left Israel in a state of confusion. Israeli analysts called it a strategic ambush that put Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a tight spot and left the government scrambling for a response.
After Trump publicly praised Hamas's statement, Israeli politics and the media went into a state of chaos. Reporters from big news organizations said that the night was one of the most politically and diplomatically tense for Israel since the war began.
Barak Ravid, a well-known journalist for Channel 12, Walla, and Axios, said that Netanyahu didn't expect Trump's reaction and was surprised by how quickly Washington backed Hamas's message. Walla says that Netanyahu's advisors started writing an official response to Trump's statement right away.
Channel 14, on the other hand, said that Trump "fell into Hamas's trap" when he publicly told Israel to stop its military operations in Gaza. This was seen as the first time he had agreed with Hamas's story. Other news sources said that Israel was losing the fight for political messaging to both Hamas and Trump.
Israeli Analysts: "Trump Got It Wrong"
Amir Bohbot, a military correspondent, said that Hamas's move was "a psychological operation" meant to put political pressure on Israel and the United States instead of the group itself. He said that Trump's happy tone was wrong and that "he's acting like Hamas fully accepted his proposal, which is not true."
Noam Amir, a political commentator, said that the group's planned response "throws the ball into Trump's court" and makes the U.S. responsible for moving the negotiations forward. He said that Hamas was "buying time and changing the story."
Israel's Army Radio called Trump's response "total madness" and quoted him as saying, "Israel must stop bombing Gaza right away because Hamas is ready for peace."
The political team at Channel 12 said that Israeli officials were shocked by Trump's sudden announcement. One source told the network, "Netanyahu thought Hamas's response was a rejection," so the president's interpretation completely caught him off guard.
"Trump Sold Israel for a Nobel Prize"
Israeli media started to criticize Trump more, with Ynet saying he was "selling Israel for a Nobel Peace Prize." Hadshot Bezman called the situation "the ultimate reversal," remembering Netanyahu's own words in Washington days before that "the world now pressures Hamas, not Israel."
Now, analysts say, Trump's call for an immediate ceasefire has changed everything. Now it's up to Israel to explain why it needs to keep fighting.
Suleiman Maswadeh, a reporter for Channel 11, agreed with this analysis, saying that Hamas's response "opens the door for negotiation rather than acceptance" and reaffirms its refusal to disarm, which goes against Trump's conditions.
Netanyahu's Office Tries to Fix Things
Yaron Avraham of Channel 12 quoted a high-ranking political source, who is widely thought to be Netanyahu, saying that Hamas's move was the result of "heavy pressure from Arab states and the U.S." The source called Hamas's willingness to free Israeli prisoners and remains "a major achievement" for Israel and said that the event was "part of a pre-discussed plan."
Israeli commentators mostly ignored that claim, saying that the order of events—from Hamas's statement to Trump's quick support—surprised both Washington and Jerusalem.
"Hamas flipped the table, and Trump put Israel in a corner," said one headline from Maariv. Netanyahu is facing one of the hardest tests of his leadership since the start of the Gaza war because of the political storm that is happening right now.
