Hamas' only remaining leverage is its hold on hostages, and Israel can't let false promises derail efforts for their release, "Israel Undiplomatic" podcast co-host Ruthie Blum told Newsmax on Sunday.
"I certainly hope it's going to happen. And I really hope the families of the hostages are not yet again disappointed," Blum, former adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America Weekend" while warning that Hamas has repeatedly broken agreements.
President Donald Trump and Netanyahu have been clear, she added.
"First you release the hostages, and then we'll negotiate all the rest of it — the postwar Gaza, what happens to Hamas," said Blum.
She cautioned that Hamas may try to manipulate the process.
"The question is, is Hamas going to pull a stunt, for example, by saying, OK, tomorrow we'll release 10 hostages and then stop?" she said. "We've seen them violate every possible — they don't even make deals, they just violate them.
"And they're a bloodthirsty terrorist organization. So we can't pin too many hopes on that unless Qatar and Egypt are actually pressuring them."
Blum added that Israel is also waging a battle of perception since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
Israel has "been battling a battle of truth," she said. "And now the Arab coalition is actually united and showing the world that Israel is committed to the one truth. What's the one truth that Israel wants? They want peace."
Blum warned against premature optimism from a security standpoint.
"It depends on what kind of military control Israel will retain, at least in the near future. And also we just have to be careful with the word peace, because the Islamists and the Arab countries and Islam has something called taqiyya [deception] and hudna [temporary truce]. These are temporary arrangements, and we've seen that again and again throughout Israel's history," Blum said.
Even countries like Egypt and Jordan have been telling lies about Israel, said Blum.
"Egypt has been saying vile things about Israel, calling it the enemy," she said. "We have a peace treaty with Jordan. The queen of Jordan said nobody was raped on Oct. 7. So even these leaders who have come together because they're against the Muslim Brotherhood, you know; we have to be careful about these strange bedfellows, so to speak."
Israel Defense Forces veteran and "Resilient Riches" podcast host Yair Klyman, also on the program, commented that Hamas is under new pressure.
"I think there's an entire stronghold against Hamas right now. And now there is backing across the Arab coalition," he said. "So I think they will be wiped out. I think Hamas is taking it more seriously because they had seven fronts. Now it's just one against the Western world and Western civilization. We'll have to see where it goes."
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