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By Tom O'Connor
Deputy Editor, National Security and Foreign Policy
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A senior Hamas official has issued a warning to Arab nations considering normalizing ties with Israel in an update on the Palestinian movement's deliberations on whether or not to proceed with the United States' ceasefire proposal in Gaza.
The statement, issued Wednesday by Hamas Political Bureau member Kamal Abu Aoun, "confirmed that the movement's leadership continues its tireless, round-the-clock efforts with various parties to reach a comprehensive agreement that leads to a complete cessation of the aggression on Gaza, emphasizing the movement's positive openness to initiatives and proposals presented by mediators."
"He expressed hope that the mediators' efforts will soon bear fruit in reaching a ceasefire and commencing the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip," the statement said.
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Newsweek reached out to a representative of Hamas for comment.
Abu Aoun did not confirm whether or not the group was prepared to accept the deal on the table, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and centered around a 60-day truce and the release of the remaining 50 hostages held by the group in exchange for more than 1,400 Palestinian prisoners and bodies held by Israel.
But as he praised the efforts of Palestinians engaged in the war, soon to reach its 21st month, he also weighed in on the debate over what remains of the Arab diplomat boycott of Israel.
Abu Aoun was cited as saying "that Arab and Islamic countries are not immune from the dangers of the Zionist project and must realize that the battle does not concern Palestine alone, but rather affects the national security and strategic interests of the entire nation, and that Palestine remains the first line of defense for these interests."
He also "emphasized that normalization with the occupation does not bring prosperity, but rather deepens dependency and consolidates hegemony," according to the statement, which warned that "any path to normalization following this brutal war on Gaza is a betrayal of Jerusalem and an abdication of historical responsibility toward the Palestinian cause."
Abu Aoun also offered praise to another regional power, noting how "Turkey has been and continues to be a fundamental supporter of the Palestinian people and plays a significant role in supporting the political position of the resistance."
Why It Matters
The latest statement from Hamas comes as Trump increasingly signals that a deal is on the horizon.
Last Friday, days after Trump announced a ceasefire in the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, a source familiar with the Israel-Hamas negotiations taking place in Qatar told Newsweek that "the president is working very hard on convincing the Israelis that the time is right, now that they have finished with the issue of Iran."
"The president is clearly interested not just in a mere 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas," the source said. "He's hoping that those 60 days would lead to a resolution, the release of all the hostages and permanent cease fire that could lead to negotiations over the future of an Israel-Palestine peace agreement."
That same day, Trump told reporters he believed a deal was possible "within the next week."
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Trump announced in a Truth Social post on Tuesday that Israel had "agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War." He expressed hope that Hamas "takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE."
Throughout his dealings on the issues of Gaza and Iran, the U.S. leader has also recently signaled that more countries in the region have expressed interest in establishing diplomatic ties with Israel, expanding on the 2020 Abraham Accords initiative through which the first Trump administration oversaw such a move taken by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.
"We have some really great countries in there right now and I think we're going to start loading them up, because Iran was the primary problem." Trump said during an interview aired Sunday on Fox News.
"I actually thought we had a period of time where Iran would join the Abraham Accords along with everybody else," he added. "And frankly, they would have been better off than where they are right now."
What To Know
Israel and Hamas have been at war since October 7, 2023, when the group launched an attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli officials. More than 430 Israeli soldiers have died in the conflict, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
More than 57,000 people have been killed since Israel began its ongoing offensive in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Arab nations have universally condemned Israel's Gaza offensive, which resumed in March after a previous deal overseen by the Trump administration collapsed. U.S. and Israeli officials have accused Hamas of effectively rejecting the temporary ceasefire, while the group has maintained that it was open to engaging on the proposal while seeking guarantees for a permanent cessation of hostilities.
Thus far, neither the four Abraham Accords parties nor the only prior two Arab countries to have normalized ties with Israel—Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994—have severed diplomatic relations.
Among the nations believed to currently be in talks toward potentially establishing diplomatic ties with Israel is Syria.
Syrian Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who took power in December after an Islamist rebel offensive toppled longtime President Bashar al-Assad, a key Iranian ally, confirmed in May that his new administration had engaged in indirect talks with Israel to de-escalate tensions.
Israeli media have since reported on "advanced talks" held directly by the two sides toward normalization, citing senior Israeli officials.
Trump did not indicate during his Fox News interview whether or not he believed Syria would join the Abraham Accords, but pointed to his recent lifting of sanctions against the country.
"You get more sometimes with honey than you do with vinegar," he said.
The U.S. and Israel have also long expressed hope that Saudi Arabia may join the Abraham Accords, though ties with Israel were notably absent from the set of agreements signed during Trump's visit to the kingdom in May.
Saudi officials have repeatedly expressed that they would only consider establishing diplomatic relations with Israel upon a concrete framework toward Palestinian statehood.
What People Are Saying
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech on Wednesday: "I am telling you—there will be no more Hamas. There will be no more Hamas-stan. We are not going back to that. It's over. We will free all of our hostages.
"'Really, how can one say this? These objectives are contradictory!' What nonsense. They go together. We will complete this together, contrary to what is being said. We will eliminate Hamas down to its very foundations. Our opportunities are enormous. We are not going to miss them or lose them. We will not miss these opportunities."
The Associated Press cited Hamas spokesperson Taher al-Nunu as saying Wednesday that the group was "ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement," and was "ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war."
What Happens Next
Netanyahu is reportedly scheduled to travel to the U.S. to meet with Trump on Monday. The conversation has been framed around the recent ceasefire declared by Trump to the Iran-Israel war that also directed U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, though the situation in Gaza was also likely to be a main topic of discussion.
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