The breakthrough hostages-for-a-cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel was struck Wednesday because the terror group understood that the terms of any agreement under President-elect Donald Trump would be far worse, according to his incoming White House national security adviser.
“Clearly, the entire world recognizes that this was the Trump effect,” Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), who will serve as Trump’s principal adviser on all national security issues, told Fox News “Special Report” host Bret Baier.
Waltz argued that Hamas “had no choice” but to accept the deal, which will lay the path to freeing 33 hostages over the next 42 days in exchange for Israel releasing 1,000 Palestinians imprisoned in jails and pushing troops out of some parts of northern Gaza.
“They believed President Trump when he said there would be all hell to pay and any deal that was on the table would only get worse once he was in office,” the incoming White House national security adviser said of the terror group responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on the Jewish State.
“I mean, this is President Trump – who took out [Iranian Gen. Qasem] Soleimani, who took out [Islamic State boss Abu Bakr] al-Baghdadi – I think all these terrorist organizations understand now, the type of man and the type of leader that they’re dealing with,” Waltz said.
Waltz noted that he understands the concerns about the Palestinians being released as part of the deal but “at the end of the day, those hostages have been down there in those tunnels getting raped, abused, in horrific conditions.”
“They had been there longer than the 1979 hostages, and in much more horrific conditions,” he added, referring to the 53 Americans who were held hostage by Iran near the end of Jimmy Carter’s presidency.
“I’m convinced they all would have died if President Trump hadn’t come in and said, ‘Get them out,’” Waltz said of the Hamas-held hostages, who have been in captivity for the last 15 months.
Waltz called the landmark agreement “a Reagan moment” for Trump, because Hamas “understood the consequences if they didn’t get this done.”
The Iranian hostages were released on Jan. 20, 1981, the day former President Ronald Reagan replaced Carter in the White House.
Waltz indicated that Trump, 78, will have no reservations about supporting Israel if it ends up needing to “go back in” to Gaza and conduct more operations against Hamas.
“We’ve made it very clear to the Israelis, and I want the people of Israel to hear me on this – If they need to go back in, we’re with them,” the Florida Republican said.
“If Hamas doesn’t live up to the terms of this agreement, we are with them,” he added.
On the future of the terror group, Waltz was adamant that Hamas is “not going to continue as a military entity” and will have no role in governing Gaza should peace last in the region.
“I think by the end of President Trump’s term, we’re going to be talking about rail and fiber and data centers and moving the region forward. In a way that only President Trump could transform,” he added, referring to what the broader Middle Eastern region will look like under Trump.
