Every hostage deal was going to suck, because it was always going to be a trade of innocent kidnapping victims, including presumably the bodies of children, for mass murdering terrorists. The only question is whether this deal is worse or better than it could have been. The answer, because of Team Trump, is better. Here's why Team Trump was able to bring a hostage deal where Team Biden was not. Hamas' goals in any hostage deal were: - A total and final ceasefire with Hamas in control - Complete withdrawal of IDF from the strip - Return of all displaced to their “homes” (meaning free movement of terrorists all over the Strip, which is Hamas' actual goal) - "Reconstruction" of the Gaza Strip (meaning flow of aid they could steal and use to recruit more Hamas members) Israel's goals were: - Return of as many hostages as possible - No Hamas running Gaza - Ability to eliminate future threats The Biden team was willing to push for virtually all of Hamas' goals. Israel was unwilling to accept that, and correctly so. Israel knew that any short-term Phase I ceasefire agreement would be deliberately misinterpreted by the Biden administration as a commitment to end the war and leave Hamas in control. Hamas knew they could always hold out for a better deal and hope that Biden would ratchet up the pressure on Israel. They were all right, by the way: that's precisely what Biden is touting today -- a supposed end to the war that actually ISN'T in the deal. But that's not what Team Trump was saying. Team Trump made clear what Team Biden would not: 1. This is the best deal Hamas was going to get -- it only gets worse from here; 2. Team Trump would not be pushing Israel to leave Hamas in control. Far from it. Both Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz made that crystal clear yesterday. Here's the thing: Hamas didn't get its goals here. Phase I does not include a final ceasefire (and I suspect there will never be a Phase II, since Phase II has never materialized in literally any such agreement). Phase I does not include a withdrawal of Israel from Gaza, including the Philadelphi Axis. Phase I does not include free travel for Hamas throughout the strip. Phase I includes increased aid, but not unfettered aid throughout the strip to a reconstituted Hamas. So, if a deal does indeed materialize, Team Trump gets the credit for two reasons: it made the credible threat to Hamas that things would get worse from here, and it made the credible promise to Israel that if things go sideways, America will stand beside Israel. Biden couldn't and wouldn't do either of those things.
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