Drop Site on Nostr: ✴️ NEW | Unofficial Trump envoy Dr. Bishara Bahbah says Hamas has accepted a new ...

✴️ NEW | Unofficial Trump envoy Dr. Bishara Bahbah says Hamas has accepted a new U.S. concept for a “comprehensive deal” that he personally conveyed to the resistance group.

Palestinian-American businessman and unofficial Trump envoy Bahbah told Al Arabiya he delivered a U.S. proposal to Hamas: release all Israeli captives in exchange for ending the war. He says Washington has stepped up its involvement, but in the end it depends on how much pressure it’s willing to apply on Israel: “Without American pressure, nothing will happen.”

Here are key excerpts from that interview, translated and edited for clarity by Drop Site News:

Dr. Bahbah:
A meeting was held in Washington that lasted, as I understand it, about six hours. It was decided that there would be one final offer on the table: the release of all prisoners in exchange for the end of the war. We indeed communicated this to Hamas, and at first they hesitated. They weren’t sure if this was official or unofficial, and so on. Then they saw the president’s tweet.

Anchor:
That was last Sunday (the meeting).

Dr. Bahbah:
Yes. Once they saw the president’s tweet, they were convinced it was official. Hamas’s reaction was almost immediate: they agreed to the deal. They wanted it to be comprehensive—hand over all the Israelis, receive a certain number of Palestinian prisoners, and at the same time, the war would end. Hamas also expected Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.

Anchor:
“Some people, especially those who are frustrated, think Israel won’t end things that easily—get its prisoners back, end the war, and withdraw. I hope I’m wrong in that assessment.

Dr. Bahbah:
I often hear from Israelis themselves that Netanyahu needs American pressure to accept a deal. Without that pressure, it’s hard for him to face Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. Right now, the U.S. position is clear: they want the war ended and all hostages released at once—not in groups of two, five, or seven. So what are the chances Israel backs away from this? As of now, they’ve rejected it, saying Hamas is trying to deceive. But what I know is that the U.S. has stepped up its involvement. In the end, it all depends on the type and amount of pressure on Israel. Without American pressure, nothing will happen.”

Anchor:
Every time we get close to an agreement, it falls apart. This is deeply frustrating—not for us, but for the people of Gaza. So this time, is there real American pressure being applied? Or will Witkoff just turn against Hamas tomorrow like he has before?

Dr. Bahbah:
All I can speak to is what I see. What I see now is that there’s an American offer: end the war in exchange for the release of all prisoners. What will happen after four or five days, only God knows.

Anchor:
When you passed this message to Hamas, they announced publicly that they accepted a comprehensive deal. But people always ask: what about the details? How many prisoners will be released? Or the bigger question: what about the future of Hamas itself? Will Israel end the war and leave Gaza without achieving what it set out to do—removing Hamas from power and disarming them?

Dr. Bahbah:
This issue is not on the table. If it comes up, we will address it. But for now, it’s not on the table. All I’ve been told, and what I can convey, is that the hostages will be released in exchange for a certain number of prisoners, and at the same time, we (USA) will guarantee the end of the war and the withdrawal of Israel.

Anchor:
As a mediator, having been involved in these negotiations for months, can you say with a clear conscience that Hamas has offered everything it could? Because the general perception is that Israel hasn’t offered anything. But let’s stick to Hamas—have they given what they should?

Dr. Bahbah:
At this stage, especially in their response to the American offer, Hamas was positive and gave everything it could.

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