Jonathan Conricus, former spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, told Newsmax on Tuesday that President-elect Donald Trump "injected" some momentum into the ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, adding nobody wants to be on the "wrong side of the books" with the incoming American president.
Trump told Newsmax on Monday night that there will be a "lot of trouble" for Hamas and the sponsors of terrorism if a ceasefire doesn't get done and hostages don't get released. Conricus joined "The Record With Greta Van Susteren" to say Trump's influence "matters a lot."
"I assess that really the weight of incoming President Trump has been applied on Qatar and perhaps on Egypt, which are the two state supporters of Hamas. And that is perhaps what has injected the whole process with a bit more momentum. And that is why we perhaps can be a little bit more hopeful as to what's happening," Conricus told guest host Bianca de la Garza.
Another sign of Trump's influence is that the deal that is reportedly close to getting done is essentially the same deal that Hamas has rejected previously, Conricus said.
"[I]f we look at the details, this deal is essentially — with perhaps some details a little bit different — but this deal is essentially what has been on the table for months and has been rejected so far by Hamas, already approved by Israel many times, including by the prime minister" Benjamin Netanyahu, Conricus said. "And Hamas has not yet approved at this time either. But there appears to be a positive momentum.
"I think that all of the parties are careful not to be in the wrong side of the books of incoming President Trump," he added. "And I think Israel understands that this is going to be a long, long war here with Hamas. This will only be a milestone. Returning the hostages will be one stage, but unfortunately, as long as Hamas governs Gaza, then there will be war and despair and fighting and misery until Israel defeats Hamas and eradicates it."
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