Expert Says ‘Hamas’ Lack of Flexibility’ Could Influence America’s Understanding of Israel’s Red Lines
As US-Israeli negotiations with Hamas continue, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seek common ground on a potential Gaza ceasefire deal, despite political pressure and ongoing violence
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US President Donald Trump Monday at the White House as efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are underway.
Netanyahu, who leads a far-right coalition, is under pressure from senior political allies to continue the war in Gaza until the Hamas terrorist organization is removed from power.
The Israeli leader landed in Washington triumphant, portraying his third visit to Washington since President Trump’s election as a victorious one, on the heels of a joint US-Israeli strike against the Iranian nuclear program last month. Trump is looking to end the lengthy war in Gaza and might leverage Netanyahu’s gratitude for the Iranian operation to secure a deal that will also see the release of at least some of the 50 Israeli hostages still being held in captivity by Hamas.
Trump would probably like a shorter timetable than Netanyahu for the war to end in Gaza
“Trump would probably like a shorter timetable than Netanyahu for the war to end in Gaza,” Professor Chuck Freilich, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, told The Media Line. “There is no fundamental disagreement on anything, partly because Netanyahu wants to keep Trump happy, but he is also ready to end the war on certain conditions now, and Trump is probably willing to go along with that in broad terms.”
US envoy Steve Witkoff was heading to Qatar on Tuesday to participate in the indirect negotiations between the warring parties. Earlier this week, Trump said there was a ‘good chance’ a deal could be reached later this week. Israeli media reports on Tuesday downplayed the possibility, quoting unnamed senior officials who said the negotiations could take more time.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military announced five Israeli soldiers were killed and fourteen others were wounded after explosive devices were detonated near their convoy in the northern Gaza Strip.
The incident brought forward once again a heated debate in Israel about the war.
Senior ministers called for the immediate return of the Israeli negotiators from Qatar.
“The pain is immense, as is the belief in the righteousness of the path … and the understanding that we have no choice but to continue fighting until the enemy is destroyed and security is restored to the citizens of Israel for many years to come,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted on his social media accounts after the incident. “Those who call out of pain and shortsightedness for surrender to the enemy and a halt to the fighting before it (Hamas) is destroyed, will lead to much more bloodshed in the next rounds of fighting that will surely come in the near future.”
The opposition called for an end to the fighting, seeing it as a way to secure the release of all of the hostages and remove soldiers from harm’s way. His opponents see Netanyahu as dragging the war on to avoid public backlash from his failure to prevent Hamas’ attack, which marked the beginning of the war. For months, weekly demonstrations have called for Netanyahu to agree to an immediate ceasefire, accusing him of corruption and personal motivation while sacrificing the lives of the hostages and Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli leader has so far remained steadfast in his position, backed by his political partners and a solid parliamentary majority.
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Israel has proven it can be flexible while still upholding its red lines
“Israel has proven it can be flexible while still upholding its red lines,” Ruth Pines Feldman, a senior research fellow at the Misgav Institute for National Security and a doctoral candidate at Tel Aviv University, told The Media Line.
According to Pines Feldman, Israel’s ability to sway the US administration against a deal with Iran while also convincing Trump that the US needed to join in on the attack has proven its aptitude in applying pressure. Also contributing to the American decision was Iran’s stalling of negotiations, which further pushed Washington to choose the military option against Iran.
“There is an American desire to end the war in Gaza, coupled with a willingness to negotiate and pressure on Israel,” said Pines Feldman. “But because of Hamas’ lack of flexibility, Israel will be successful in changing the American position to understanding its red lines.”
Previous attempts to negotiate a ceasefire have failed, with Witkoff and other American officials laying the blame on Hamas.
The current deal would include a 60-day pause in the fighting, followed by immediate negotiations for a permanent end to the war. During the ceasefire, Hamas is supposed to release 10 living Israeli hostages and an additional 15 to 18 bodies. In return, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Hamas is demanding an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. In addition, reports from the current round of negotiations suggested Hamas demanded American guarantees that the war would not resume if permanent ceasefire talks collapse and that humanitarian aid be distributed exclusively by United Nations organizations and not by the American-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), demanding their operations end immediately.
“Those aren’t just minor adjustments,” Freilich said. “They go back to their original demands, which are designed to survive the war and keep them in power. Netanyahu will not accept this, and he will have Trump’s support for that.”
“If they will back off those demands, chances for a deal are better,” Freilich added.
Netanyahu has vowed that Israel will not stop the war until Hamas is removed from power in Gaza.
“It is a balancing act between American pressure and Israel’s ability to insist on its red lines regarding withdrawal from Gaza and the deportation of the remaining of Hamas’ leaders from Gaza,” Pines Feldman said. “Israel will not budge from this, and American pressure will have no influence; on the contrary, we will see the US adopting the Israeli position and will put the pressure on Hamas.”
Previous attempts to negotiate a ceasefire have failed, with Witkoff and other American officials laying the blame on Hamas.
Israel’s war in Gaza quickly developed into a multi-front regional war that changed the region. After fighting Hezbollah and dealing it deadly blows, a ceasefire between the Lebanese-based terrorist organization and Israel has been in place for several months, with Lebanon’s border largely quiet since late 2024. The subsequent collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has disrupted Iran’s military corridor and created a regional power vacuum. With its “Axis of Resistance” significantly weakened, Iran faces growing challenges in projecting influence across the region.
The American President and Israeli premier view this as an opportunity.
“There is a high level of strategic understanding between the US and Israel,” said Freilich. “It goes beyond Gaza; there was very close strategic coordination about the war in Iran, and there are broad agreements on where to go from here.”
Trump views the future of the Middle East as hinging on expanded normalization agreements between Israel and key Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia. Syria is also a candidate to join, perhaps even before Saudi Arabia. The Trump administration sees a ceasefire in Gaza as a necessary step to create the diplomatic conditions needed for such agreements to materialize.
Netanyahu has long sought a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia.
This regional shift, which is in motion and not yet at conclusion, could also have an impact on Hamas.
Regional actors might apply pressure on Hamas to make progress on agreements with Israel
“Regional actors might apply pressure on Hamas to make progress on agreements with Israel,” said Pines Feldman.
This could also impact Qatar, a mediator in the talks and Hamas’ primary benefactor.
“Qatar, which was also concerned about Iranian influence in the region, is also indebted to the US due to its attack on Iran,” Pines Feldman added. “Trump will know how to collect his debt by asking Qatar to apply more pressure on Hamas.”
The negotiations between Israel and Hamas have far-reaching regional implications. They have exposed the complexities of the various and sometimes contradictory alliances in the Middle East, while also revealing the intricate politics that exist within Israel and other countries.
While the parties may ultimately agree to an interim deal, it appears it is not as imminent as Trump may have hoped in the beginning of the week.
