A senior Hamas official has called for an immediate end to Israel’s military actions in Gaza and a plan to establish Palestinian statehood following former President Donald Trump’s recent election victory.
“The election of Trump as the 47th president of the USA is a private matter for the Americans,” said Hamas Political Bureau member and spokesperson Basem Naim. “But Palestinians look forward to an immediate cessation of the aggression against our people, especially in Gaza, and seek assistance in achieving their legitimate rights of freedom, independence, and the establishment of their independent self-sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital.”
He also stated that the strong support for Israel “at the expense of the future of our people and the security and stability of the region must stop immediately.”
During his previous term, Trump maintained a close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is now engaged in an expanded military conflict involving multiple fronts following a large-scale attack by Hamas on Israel in October 2023. Trump has both shown support for Israel and voiced some criticism of Netanyahu’s wartime leadership, calling for a timely resolution to the conflict.
Following Trump’s victory, Netanyahu congratulated him, describing it as “history’s greatest comeback.” In his statement, Netanyahu expressed hope for a renewed alliance between Israel and the U.S. under Trump’s leadership. The two leaders later spoke, with discussions reportedly focused on Israel’s security and the perceived threat from Iran.
The Israel-Hamas conflict has become a divisive issue in U.S. foreign policy. President Joe Biden has continued providing military assistance to Israel while calling for measures to protect civilian lives, balancing support for Israel with criticism from both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups. Vice President Kamala Harris echoed Biden’s position, advocating for peace and expressing concern for civilians impacted by the ongoing violence, though firmly supporting continued arms sales to Israel.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Hamas called for an end to Israel’s military actions in Lebanon and urged the U.S. to “stop providing military support and political cover to the Zionist entity, and to recognize the legitimate rights of our people.”
Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who leads the West Bank-based government that often rivals Gaza’s Hamas administration, also congratulated Trump on his victory. Abbas expressed hope for cooperation with Trump toward regional peace and reiterated Palestinians’ aspirations for freedom, self-determination, and statehood in line with international law.
During Trump’s prior administration, both Hamas and Abbas were critical of his Middle East policies, including the 2018 move of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and the 2020 peace proposal known as the “deal of the century.” The plan granted Israel control over disputed territories and called for the disarmament of Palestinian factions, among other stipulations, though it ultimately failed to gain traction in the Arab world. Later, Trump facilitated the Abraham Accords, leading several Arab nations to normalize relations with Israel.
Trump’s administration was marked by heightened U.S.-Iran tensions, including the U.S. exit from the nuclear deal in 2018 and the 2020 targeted killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Since then, Trump has criticized the Biden administration’s approach to Iran, arguing that the current Middle East conflict could have been avoided under his leadership.
“We want a strong and powerful military and ideally, we don’t have to use it,” Trump said during his victory speech. “We had no wars for four years. Except we defeated ISIS in record time.”