Hamas praises Trump, credits him with securing Gaza ceasefire

Trump is a ‘serious president,’ says senior Hamas leader, lauding the new president for ‘ending the war’ in the Gaza Strip.

By World Israel News Staff

A top Hamas official praised President Donald Trump on the eve of his inauguration, crediting the incoming president with achieving the recently implemented Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal.

Mousa Abu Marzouk, a member of Hamas’s ruling politburo and former politburo chairman who now lives in exile in Qatar, told The New York Times via telephone Sunday that the deal reached between Israel and Hamas in Doha last week was achieved thanks to the intervention of then-president-elect Donald Trump and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.

During the interview, Marzouk lauded Trump as a “serious president,” adding that the hostage deal, which went into effect Sunday morning, could not have been achieved without Trump’s involvement.

Marzouk went on to describe the agreement as “ending the war” in Gaza.

“If not for President Trump, his insistence on ending the war, and his dispatching of a decisive representative,” referring to Witkoff, “the deal wouldn’t have happened.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli leaders have stated publicly that Israel may resume the war against Hamas after the first six-week phase of the deal.

“Truthfully, Trump gets the credit for ending the war,” Marzouk said.

The American-educated former chief of Hamas’s political echelon expressed optimism regarding the prospects of long-term dialogue with the Trump administration, saying he is hopeful the terror group can reach “understandings” with the U.S.

“We’re prepared for a dialogue with America and achieving understandings on everything,” he said.

Marzouk responded to reports from the Trump transition team that Witkoff was mulling a visit to the Gaza Strip.

“He can come and see the people and try to understand their feelings and wishes so that the American position can be based on the interests of all the parties, and not only one party,” said Marzouk.