Topline
Former President Donald Trump said Hamas can’t meet the terms of a cease-fire proposal to release 40 hostages, claiming many have been killed and “there are far fewer hostages than currently being thought,” he wrote on Truth Social Monday—hours after President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the ongoing negotiations.
Former President Donald Trump gives a brief statement after leaving the courtroom at the end of the … [+] day of his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 26, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jeenah Moon-Pool/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Key Facts
Trump wrote that Israel and Hamas are unable to negotiate a deal to release hostages because “there are far fewer hostages than currently being thought,” adding “Hamas is incapable of holding Jewish people for a long period of time without killing them.”
It’s unclear how many hostages being held by Hamas are still alive—the militant group captured 240 hostages in its Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and Israel estimates around 130 are still in Gaza, including at least 34 who are dead, although US officials have said privately they believe the death toll could be higher, the Wall Street Journal reported in mid-April.
Hamas indicated earlier this month it would not be able to meet demands of a US-backed cease-fire proposal to release 40 hostages, including all women, sick hostages, elderly men and female Israeli soldiers, suggesting there are not enough hostages who meet the criteria, multiple outlets reported, citing unnamed Israeli officials.
US and Israeli officials have not publicly addressed the claim that there are not enough living hostages to meet the terms of the deal.
Tangent
Trump repeated his attacks on Biden for waffling in his support of Israel, claiming “October 7th WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED IF I WERE PRESIDENT,” he wrote on Truth Social Monday, adding Biden has shown “ZERO leadership.” Trump launched his latest attack on Biden’s handling of the conflict hours after Biden and Netanyahu discussed the ongoing talks for a temporary cease-fire in a phone call Sunday. Biden “reaffirmed his ironclad commitment to Israel’s security” in the phone call, but “reiterated his clear position” that Israel should not attack Rafah, the southern border city that has become a haven for refugees, according to a White House readout.
What To Watch For
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel Monday to Saudi Arabia, where he will meet with Egyptian and Qatari officials serving as liaisons for Hamas in the cease-fire talks. “That’s going to be right at the top of the list for Secretary Blinken, to keep pushing for this temporary cease-fire,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”
Key Background
Trump’s rhetoric surrounding Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war has become increasingly incendiary in recent weeks, as Biden has expressed some frustration with Netanyahu and as pro-Palestinian protests have roiled college campuses across the country, often devolving into scenes of antisemitism. Trump last week said the 2017 white supremacist in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a young woman was killed and dozens more were injured, was “like a ‘peanut’” compared to the campus demonstrations, claiming Biden’s increased frustration with Netanyahu has enabled the protesters. Trump has also repeatedly claimed that Jews who vote for Democrats “hate Israel” and “should be ashamed of themselves.” Trump—who has been accused of fueling antisemitism by repeating tropes and cozying up to controversial figures who espouse those views—appears to be making a play to Jewish voters as the Israel-Hamas war has exposed Biden to vulnerabilities among the key Democratic voting bloc. Trump, meanwhile, has suggested he would handle the Israel-Hamas war better than Biden, without detailing a clear strategy. He has publicly urged Israel to seek an end to the conflict, declaring it is “losing the PR war.”
Further Reading
Trump Calls Racist ‘Unite The Right’ Rally—Where Young Woman Died—A ‘Peanut’ Compared To Pro-Palestinian Protests (Forbes)
Trump Says Israel ‘Losing A Lot Of Support’—Urges Israel To ‘Finish Up’ Hamas War (Forbes)
Biden And Netanyahu Rift Opens: How US/Israel Divisions Over War With Hamas Went Public Tuesday (Forbes)
