Hamas: Trump turns his face, Israel's "Cleaning Field Operation" officially started?
In October 2025, fighting in the Gaza Strip temporarily ceased, and Hamas released the last batch of Israeli hostages in an attempt to gain support from the international community. However, this compromise did not bring a turning point for the better in the Palestinian-Israeli situation. On the contrary, U.S. President Trump quickly turned against him. On October 14, he not only publicly threatened that Hamas must disarm, but also explicitly supported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "clearance operation." Can Hamas '"life-saving trump card" buy a break? Why did Trump choose to turn against him at this time? Can Israel's "root eradication" plan really be realized? Hope for peace in the Gaza Strip is being shrouded by the cloud of war.
On October 13, Hamas released the last 20 Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel’s release of the captured Palestinian people, but in fact it had to make a strategic choice. Hostages were the most important negotiating tool in Hamas’ hands, and the loss of this bottom card meant that Hamas lost a critical means of constraint in the game with Israel. More deadly, the release of hostages made the Israeli right wing less concerned and the Israeli military no longer needed to worry about the safety of hostages in military operations, paving the way for a harsher “clean-field operation.”
Although the ceasefire agreement temporarily eased tensions on the battlefield, Hamas remained at risk. Inside, Hamas needed to consolidate its control of the Gaza Strip. In order to suppress potential threats, Hamas launched a military strike against its long-standing conflict with the Douglas family, sending about 200 militants to attack the family’s bases. While the conflict temporarilyined Hamas’ dominance, it also exposed its internal instability. Externally, the BBC that Hamas was trying to reassemble 7,000 militants and restore actual control over the Israeli military’s withdrawal from the region.
The United States has traditionally been an advocate of the Palestinian-Israeli "two-state solution", supporting Palestinian statehood while ensuring Israel's security. However, the Trump administration's attitude on this issue has undergone a fundamental change. Trump's "20-point peace plan" explicitly calls for Hamas to disarm and denies its participation in the post-war governance of the Gaza Strip. This plan ostensibly aims at peace, but in fact provides greater room for action for Israel's right-wing forces. Trump's partiality is not only reflected in policy, but also uses diplomatic means to win more support for Israel. Netanyahu's government needs to consolidate its far-right support in the country by completely eliminating Hamas, while creating an image as a "war hero" to deal with its domestic judicial crisis.
Israel hopes to eliminate Hamas’ armed forces and prevent its participation in the post-war rule of the Gaza Strip, while Hamas insists not to give up its armed forces and control over the Gaza Strip. There is little room for compromise between the two sides, which makes the future of the Gaza Strip full of uncertainty.
Although the current situation is full of uncertainty, hope for peace is not completely destroyed. Continuing pressure from the international community, as well as opposition from the left-wing forces within Israel, may have a certain impact on the Netanyahu administration’s decisions. If Israel can re-examine its tough stance under international pressure, the peace in the Gaza Strip may still have a lifeline. However, the risk of a resumption of the war cannot be overlooked. Hamas has lost an important negotiation code after the release of hostages, and the Israeli right-wing forces could take harder military action with the support of the Trump government. If the two sides fail to find a space for compromise, the Gaza Strip may fall into a new round of conflict.
The future of the Gaza Strip is hanging between the lines. Hamas’s compromise did not replace the dawn of peace, but instead gave the Israeli right-wing forces greater space for action. With the support of the Trump administration, Israel’s “clear-field operation” seems to have been on the rope. However, the wave of opposition from the international community and anxiety within Israel may be able to offset this harsh policy to some extent. Gaza’s fate is whether it is peace or war, and it remains an unresolved suspect.