Palestinian American businessman Bishara Bahbah, who has been involved in Gaza ceasefire negotiations, has said that he passed to Hamas a US proposal for a deal that would involve the release of all remaining Israeli captives in Gaza and an end to Israel’s genocidal war on the Strip.
Bahbah said that he passed the offer to Hamas before President Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday that Hamas must “give back all 20 Hostages,” a reference to the remaining Israelis held in Gaza who are believed to be alive.
Bahbah said that Hamas was initially skeptical of the US proposal, but after Trump’s post, the group released a statement that reiterated its willingness to release all Israeli hostages as part of a comprehensive deal that would involve a permanent ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
“When [Hamas] saw the president’s tweet, they were convinced that this was official,” Bahbah told Al Arabiya on Wednesday evening, according to Drop Site News. “Hamas’s reaction was almost immediate: They agreed to this deal. They wanted a comprehensive deal—let’s hand over all the hostages and receive a certain number of Palestinian prisoners in return, and at the same time, the war should end.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Hamas’s statement as “more spin” and Bahbah acknowledged that a deal was unlikely unless the US put pressure on Israel. “What I know is that the American side has increased its involvement in this process. And naturally, it all comes back to the kind and amount of pressure on Israel to strike any deal. Without American pressure, nothing will happen,” he said.
“What’s on the table now is an American offer. Is America ready to clash with Israel to implement this American vision, or not? I don’t know. The president wants to end the war in Gaza. President Trump wants to end the war in Gaza,” Bahbah added.
Asked how US envoy Steve Witkoff responded to Hamas’s statement, Bahbah said, “The response was: ‘This is a positive thing, let’s finish the process.'” So far, there’s no sign that the Trump administration is willing to put pressure on Israel to end the genocidal war, as Trump has provided public support for Israel’s recent escalation and continues to provide military aid, which Israel relies on to sustain military operations.
The details of the US proposal for a comprehensive deal remain unclear. Hamas has said it is willing to give up governance to an “independent national administration of technocrats.” Hamas has previously rejected Israeli demands to disarm, saying that will happen only if a Palestinian state is formed and a viable Palestinian force can replace its military wing.
