Cautious Optimism for Hostages as Trump Warns Hamas of 'Complete Obliteration' if it Clings to Power
JERUSALEM, Israel – Negotiators from Israel and Hamas are in Cairo today, working through President Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza and free the hostages. The administration says momentum is building despite major hurdles.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News Sunday he’s hopeful the hostages may soon be coming home, as President Trump delivered a stern warning to Hamas.
"I think we are closest we have been in a very long time to having no hostages held by Hamas, either living or deceased," Rubio stated. "The second part of this – and it's going to be a much tougher part of this – is what happens after that? Who's going to run Gaza moving forward? It can't be Hamas. It can't be a terrorist organization."
What comes after the hostage release is one of several core issues on the table in Cairo. Israel says the talks cannot drag on.
Israeli Government Spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian emphasized, "Now the Prime Minister has also made it clear that in an agreement with the Trump administration, talks will be confined to a few days maximum, with no tolerance for maneuvers that will delay talks by Hamas.”
She added, “Israel is standing by the 72-hour deadline from the moment all details are solidified with Hamas, and we'll be ready immediately to receive all of our hostages."
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Hamas says it may need time to collect the 48 hostages, only 20 of whom are still believed to be alive.
Other hurdles include Hamas reportedly demanding that Israel release prisoners they have refused to free in the past, including Marwan Barghouti, convicted of multiple murders during the Second Intifada that began in September 2000.
The terror group also wants a role for the Palestinian Authority in ruling Gaza, another condition Israel has rejected.
President Trump told CNN that if Hamas tries to cling to power, it faces "complete obliteration."
Retired Israel Defense Forces General Amir Avivi told CBN News he believes the tables turned against Hamas during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's most recent meeting at the White House.
"This is exactly what happened in Washington: a realization globally that it's game over. Hamas lost it, even if we don't see yet Hamas laying down the weapons, they already lost. The IDF is controlling 80% of Gaza completely – 900,000 people left the city, and the city is surrounded. Hamas is done," Avivi said.
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CBN News Middle East Bureau Chief
In a time where the world's attention is riveted on events in the Middle East, CBN viewers have come to appreciate Chris Mitchell's timely reports from this explosive region of the world. Mitchell brings a Biblical and prophetic perspective to these daily news events that shape our world.
Chris first began reporting on the Middle East in the mid-1990s. He repeatedly traveled there to report on the religious and political issues facing Israel and the surrounding Arab states. One of his more significant reports focused on the emigration of persecuted Christians from the Middle East.
In the past, Chris's reporting has been distinguished by award-winning coverage of revival movements and other spiritual issues. In addition to the Brownsville revival in Pensacola, Fla., he also covered an outbreak of revival in Missouri. His report on the "holy laughter" revivals in Toronto and London was named CBN's "Focus Story of the Year" in 1994.
That same year, Chris also earned a "Short Story of the Year" award for his examination of religious coverage in network news. He has also reported on such movements as the Promise Keepers and the annual "Prayer and Fasting" campaign led by the late Campus Crusade founder Dr. Bill Bright.
In addition to his reports for The 700 Club, Chris is also a regular contributor to Christian World News, a weekly 30-minute newscast that airs nationally in multiple markets.
Prior to joining CBN News in 1992, Chris worked for three years as a researcher, producer, and reporter for the Features/Testimonies department of The 700 Club.
A native of the Boston area, Chris earned a B.A. in History at the University of New Hampshire in 1975. In 1987, he graduated with honors from Regent University, earning an M.A. in Communication. While a student at Regent (then CBN University), Chris anchored "Newsight," a student-produced Christian news program.
Chris's goal at CBN News is to provide in his stories the Biblical "understanding of the times" described in I Chronicles 12:32.
