By now, Hamas has learned something that should deeply concern every American ally: Donald Trump bluffs.
On Sunday, the president issued yet another ultimatum—his second “final” warning in recent weeks. Hamas, he declared, must accept his Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release plan by 6:00 p.m. Washington time on Sunday, or face a storm of destruction “like no one has ever seen before.”
That deadline came and went. Hamas shrugged. And the White House quietly confirmed that negotiations over the very same plan were only beginning the next day.
In other words, Hamas called Trump’s bluff.
It’s a familiar pattern. In December 2024, then President-elect Trump issued an almost identical warning: if Hamas didn’t release all the remaining Israeli hostages before his inauguration, “all hell will break loose.” Hamas released a handful of hostages after the inauguration, but otherwise ignored the president. All hell, as it turned out, stayed firmly leashed.
This approach might make sense in a boardroom, but it’s disastrous in the Middle East. Trump’s instincts as a businessman—to make grand,...
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