Everything that has been happening since U.S. President Donald Trump’s entrance into the White House in the context of the future of the Gaza Strip and the Israeli hostages has been widely discussed in Israel, in Arab countries and around the world. Yet it seems that the understanding of what I call the “Trump spirit” has not yet penetrated sufficiently into the discourse, and, perhaps, the only one who does understand it is King Abdullah II of Jordan.
Even before Trump began his second go-round as president, he declared that the Israeli hostages must be immediately released from Gaza and promised hell if they were not. But public pressure in Israel, along with fear for the hostages, did not allow for a fundamental change in the basic conditions that were set—namely, a “trickle” of hostages in exchange for Israeli concessions that offset a significant part of the combat achievements of the Israel Defense Forces.
The opportunity to leverage the “Trump spirit” has grown in recent days, and it seems that Israel is still in awe of the enormous credit it has received from the new/old American president. With the extensive backing of the United States and the changed situation in the Mideast—the weakening of the Shi’ite axis of evil and the IDF’s achievements in various arenas—Israel can now change the rules of the game.
It is Hamas’s declaration in recent days about alleged Israeli violations, which they believed would lead to the “explosion” of the deal, that has solidified the opportunity for dramatic change. Hamas knows there has been a change in the U.S. position; as such, it is trying to hold onto its precarious situation to preserve the survival of its rule in the Gaza Strip.
But Israel’s opportunity in the face of the Trump spirit is much stronger. It can propose a new and different outline that minimizes the strategic damage to the hostage agreement—first, by demanding the return of all hostages immediately and then by exerting maximum pressure on Gaza. This would include a dramatic reduction in humanitarian aid, the re-evacuation of areas in Gaza, a rapid takeover of the Netzarim Corridor and the dismemberment of the Strip. This leverage must be substantial and real vis-à-vis Hamas. Rather than going on to the second stage of the stuttering deal that was formulated in May 2024, it’s time for Israel to say, “We turned to a different deal,” based on 2025 conditions.
It is important to realize, especially in light of the “festival” that Hamas is creating around the release of each tiny group of hostages, that Hamas wants to present itself as the ruler of Gaza. This is their supreme interest, and Israel must pluck these strings with an uncompromising ultimatum to release the hostages immediately. The expiration date for this ultimatum should allow for the replacement of the IDF’s chief of staff—Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, who is expected to be sworn into this role on March 5—and the entry of new officials in preparation for a renewed military operation, if required.
If Hamas does not respond, the flexibility of Israel’s action in a military context will be completely different than it has been so far. This would include full American backing, assistance in defensive efforts—with an emphasis on offensive efforts against distant circles—and a complete military victory, not only against Hamas’s military wing but also against its civilian governmental body.
I have used the term “Trump spirit” several times, and not by chance. The idea is not to take deterministic declarations and break them down into an orderly plan. Rather, it is to take Trump’s ideals, which is “you have full backing, go on your way, I am with you,” and translate them into an updated Israeli strategy based on the extraordinary military achievements that Israel has achieved in the region over the past year.