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Hostages

The Unlikely Mediator: Bishara Bahbah and the Quest for Peace in Gaza

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian-American business consultant, has found himself at the center of US efforts to end the war in Gaza, acting as a key backchannel between the US government and Hamas. Bahbah, who was once a strong supporter of Donald Trump and founded Arab Americans for Trump, received a phone call from a senior Hamas member in late April, asking him to pass a message on to Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration's special envoy to the Middle East. Hamas was willing to release all Israeli hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire, said Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas's political leadership based in Doha.

Key Takeaways:

  • Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian-American business consultant, has been acting as a key backchannel between the US government and Hamas, facilitating communication between the two parties.
  • Bahbah's unlikely role as a mediator began with a phone call from a senior Hamas member in late April, who asked him to pass a message on to Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration's special envoy to the Middle East.
  • Hamas was willing to release all Israeli hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire, said Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas's political leadership based in Doha.
  • Bahbah's role as a mediator has been instrumental in facilitating communication between the two parties, with over 20 messages being passed between Hamas and the Trump administration via Bahbah.
  • The US proposal for a 45 to 60-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of 10 hostages includes language that suggests the pause in fighting will be tied to a broader push to end the war permanently.
  • Israeli officials fear they have lost the president's ear, with the latest US proposal being seen as a major concession to Hamas.
  • Bahbah's involvement in the negotiations has not been without tension, with some members of the Trump team pushing him to come up with ways to end the conflict that did not involve a two-state solution.
  • Bahbah remains optimistic about the prospects for peace, saying "I believe the president will deliver [peace]... irrespective of the stumbles and blocks."

Statistics:

  • Over 20 messages have been passed between Hamas and the Trump administration via Bishara Bahbah.
  • The US proposal for a 45 to 60-day ceasefire includes language that suggests the pause in fighting will be tied to a broader push to end the war permanently.
  • Hamas has agreed to release all Israeli hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire.
  • Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration's special envoy to the Middle East, has played a key role in facilitating communication between Hamas and the US government.
  • Bishara Bahbah has been acting as a key backchannel between the US government and Hamas since late April.

Sources:

  • Axios news website
  • Israel's Channel 12 news
  • The New Yorker
  • The Times of Israel
  • The Washington Post
  • The Associated Press

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