Latest news with #Bahbah
Egypt Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Israel accepts new US proposal for ceasefire with Hamas, says Israeli official
Hamas wants the humanitarian assistance to be carried out through the United Nations channels. And lastly, they want the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to pull back to the positions that they held on March 2 this year, before Israel re-launched its military operations Another person familiar with the Hamas counterproposal confirmed the three points. According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the hostage families earlier in the day that he had accepted Witkoff's proposal. During her briefing on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that 'special envoy Witkoff and the President submitted a ceasefire proposal to Hamas that Israel backed and supported' and that discussions are ongoing. 'We hope that a cease fire in Gaza will take place so we can return all of the hostages home and that's been a priority for this administration from the beginning,' Leavitt added. 'We want to stop this' The senior Hamas official told CNN that they responded to Witkoff's proposal via Palestinian-American interlocutor Bishara Bahbah, who has been in direct discussions with Hamas negotiators in Doha. The Hamas official said that two days ago, they discussed the Hamas terms with Bahbah, which were sent to Witkoff. Then, the official said, after Witkoff met with Israeli official Ron Dermer in Washington this week, 'everything changed 100%.' 'We were shocked because we were told 2-3 times from Bishara [Bahbah] he approved the framework and had no problem,' said the senior Hamas official, calling the latest Witkoff proposal an 'Israeli paper.' 'We are ready to return all the hostages in one day, just we want a guarantee that war will not come again after that,' the official said. 'Now in this paper we didn't find it,' the Hamas official said. 'They want to continue the war, we want to stop this,' he added. Naim, a member of Hamas' political bureau, wrote on Facebook that a proposal had been agreed upon with Witkoff last week and that the latest framework comes from Israel and it 'means perpetuating the occupation and continuing the killing and famine.' After this latest proposal, Hamas is ready to release half of the remaining 20 living hostages, which the first Hamas official called a 'big risk' because there's no guarantee Israel will respect the agreement. 'We know that Witkoff is a strong man he can do something. He's the only one who can impact Israel,' the official said The same official said the Trump administration reneged on terms following the release of Israeli-American Edan Alexander, including a thanks to Hamas from President Trump and humanitarian aid that didn't immediately start flowing back into Gaza. 'Hamas is very, very interested to reach an agreement to end the war and return the hostages,' said the official. Earlier on Thursday, Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalal Smotrich said accepting the proposal would be 'sheer madness,' writing on social media that he 'will not allow such a thing to happen. Period.' But Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the proposal 'publicly and immediately.' He said he would support the government, even if its far-right members abandoned it.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Who Is Bishara Bahbah, The Palestinian Academic Connecting Trump To Hamas
A Palestinian-American academic has unexpectedly become a key backchannel between the Trump administration and Hamas to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. Though not an official diplomat, Bishara Bahbah helped facilitate the May release of US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander after being contacted by a senior Hamas operative. Since then, the activist has worked with US envoy Steve Witkoff on secret talks for further hostage releases in exchange for a temporary truce. Who Is Bishara Bahbah? Bishara Bahbah's family fled to Jordan during the 1948 Nakba, the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian Arabs. He was born in 1958 in East Jerusalem, which was then a part of Jordan after it was annexed following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. After the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. It also occupied the Golan Heights from Syria and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt. Mr Bahbah's family moved and settled permanently in the US in the 1970s. A Harvard-educated scholar, Mr Bahbah earned his Master's and PhD in finance and went on to teach at the university, where he also served as the associate director of Harvard's Middle East Institute. Mr Bahbah also worked in journalism as the editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem-based Palestinian newspaper, Al-Fajr. He served as a Palestinian delegate during the 1992-1993 Arab-Israeli peace talks. Until recently, he was the vice president of the US Palestine Council. In a 2018 interview, he said that Palestine would always be his home and that he registered his US-born children with UNRWA. "It will always be my home, no matter where I live," he told Arab News. "When I die, I want them to say I was Palestinian. That's our eternal right." Originally a Democrat, Mr Bahbah publicly broke with the party in 2024, criticising former President Joe Biden's handling of the war in Gaza. In May 2024, Mr Bahbah joined the Trump campaign to help form the PAC 'Arab Americans for a Better America' and later founded 'Arab Americans for Trump' to rally Arab-American Republican support in Michigan. He worked closely with Trump envoy Richard Grenell and businessman Massad Boulos. He publicly opposed Trump's February proposal for Gaza to be turned into a "Middle East Riviera" by expelling its population. Following that statement, Mr Bahbah rebranded his group to 'Arab Americans for Peace'. Mr Bahbah also played a behind-the-scenes role in drafting a congratulatory letter from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Trump after his re-election. This made way for the first direct phone call between the two leaders. Mr Bahbah also helped broker a ceasefire in Gaza on 19 January before Israel unilaterally ended it, resumed its assault, and blocked all aid from entering the war-ravaged strip. In April, Mr Bahbah was pulled into informal diplomacy after Hamas official Ghazi Hamad asked him to relay a message to US officials. This led to secret talks with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and the release of US-Israeli national Edan Alexander from Gaza on 12 May.
India Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Who is Bishara Bahbah and Why is he key to Trump's Middle East strategy?
Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian-American academic turned informal diplomat, is emerging as a central, if controversial, figure in Donald Trump's unofficial Middle East strategy as the president seeks a breakthrough in instrumental in the release of US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander from Hamas custody, Bahbah has been operating behind the scenes to broker a broader ceasefire deal involving more hostage releases and a temporary halt to hostilities in Gaza. His role, first reported by the Times of Israel, reflects Trump's unconventional approach to diplomacy — eschewing traditional statecraft for personal envoys and political Turned Political Operator Born in East Jerusalem in 1958 and schooled at Harvard, Bahbah's journey to diplomacy has not been conventional. He was once associate director at Harvard's Middle East Institute and editor-in-chief of Al-Fajr, a Jerusalem newspaper. More recently, he served in arms control and peace negotiations, becoming well known as an expert and pragmatic voice of Palestinian aligned with the Democratic Party, Bahbah distanced himself from President Joe Biden over his handling of the Gaza conflict. In 2024, he threw his support behind Trump, founding 'Arab Americans for Trump' — a group he later rebranded as 'Arab Americans for Peace' following backlash to Trump's suggestion of resettling Palestinians outside Talks, Conflicting MessagesAccording to Newsweek and Axios, Bahbah was contacted directly by Hamas and opened a new communication channel, which was seen as a breakthrough by some and a breach of protocol by others. While Palestinian officials claimed Hamas agreed to a 60–70 day ceasefire proposal, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff rejected this, calling Hamas's terms 'completely unacceptable.'advertisementThe confusion has reportedly led to delays in negotiations, with media sources indicating that Bahbah may have 'exceeded his brief,' further complicating the peace effort. Witkoff, on the other hand, proposed a shorter 45–60-day ceasefire involving the release of 19 living and 10 deceased Israel Escalates, Trump Pushes for Swift ResolutionOn the ground, Israel continues its offensive under 'Gideon's Chariots,' targeting areas such as Khan Younis. The Israeli Defense Forces have issued new evacuation orders and created military corridors to increase control. Civilian casualties continue to mount as diplomatic efforts known for touting his 'deal-making' prowess, has grown frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's extended campaign. He recently urged Israel to end the war quickly, hinting at tensions between the two READ: King Charles: Canada faces unprecedented danger amid Trump's remarks
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Who Is Bishara Bahbah? Trump's Palestinian-American Backchannel With Hamas
With reports of a new setback in the White House's efforts to strike a new ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, the man serving as an unofficial conduit between President Donald Trump and the Palestinian militant group has increasingly emerged in the spotlight. Bishara Bahbah is a Palestinian-American activist and academic whose position in facilitating talks between the Trump administration and Hamas was first revealed earlier this month by the Times of Israel, following discussions that led to the release of dual U.S.-Israeli national Edan Alexander from Gaza. He's since been tasked with helping to secure a broader agreement that would involve the release of additional hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a temporary ceasefire. Yet diverging details have surfaced of the proposal put forth by Trump's official representative, Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. After Reuters reported Monday, citing an unnamed Palestinian official, that Hamas had agreed to the U.S. offer, Witkoff dismissed the news, saying that what he had seen from Hamas was "completely unacceptable." Newsweek has reached out to Bahbah, the Israeli Consulate General in New York, Hamas and the White House for comment. Bahbah was born in 1958 in East Jerusalem to parents who fled the first Arab-Israeli war over competing Israeli and Palestinian territorial claims. His family settled in the United States in the 1970s, according to the New Arab, and he went on to earn a finance degree at Harvard University. Bahbah held a number of positions, including editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem-based newspaper Al-Fajr and associate director of Harvard's Middle East Institute, before serving as a representative to Middle East arms control and regional security peace talks. He outlined his views regarding past and future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations during a February 2021 interview with the Wilson Center. "With regarding to the format of any future negotiations, I think that they should be more interactive," Bahbah said at the time. "You don't make policies by reading speeches. You make policies by sitting together and outlining each other's concerns regarding the issues that they are negotiating over. The parties should be clear about what each side hopes to achieve because of those negotiations. The more face-to-face negotiations are, the more they will tend to be fruitful." "And in negotiations, if you start with posturing, you get nowhere, because it then becomes a zero-sum exercise," he added. "Successful negotiations happen when the two sides see the benefits that each side hopes to achieve from those negotiations." Bahbah also served as managing director of the charity United Palestinian Appeal and founded the Palestine Center, both based in Washington, D.C. A longtime Democrat, according to an interview conducted last June by TRT World, he broke with President Joe Biden's administration over its handling of the war in Gaza, which erupted in October 2023 following a Hamas-led attack on Israel. He first joined the Trump campaign last May, establishing "Arab Americans for a Better America," followed by "Arab Americans for Trump" to rally Arab support for the Republican candidate. Bahbah has also expressed criticism of Trump's approach to the conflict, however, rebranding "Arab Americans for Trump" to "Arab Americans for Peace" in response to Trump's proposal of resettling Palestinians outside of Gaza in February. Yet he appears to have only grown more central to Trump's attempts to secure a new ceasefire deal after the previous agreement brokered by the incoming administration's team, spearheaded by Witkoff, along with Biden's outgoing team in January unraveled in March. Bahbah told Israel's Channel 12 outlet last month that he was contacted directly by Hamas spokesperson Ghazi Hamad, who asked him to open a new channel with U.S. officials, ultimately leading to Alexander's release. While Alexander's release appeared to signal a potential breakthrough, negotiations in Doha have continued to stall, with Qatari Prime Minister Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani citing "fundamental differences between parties" last week. A number of Arabic-language outlets, including Al Mayadeen, Al Jazeera and Sky News Arabia reported Monday that Hamas had agreed to a U.S. deal that would include a ceasefire lasting between 60 and 70 days, as well as U.S. guarantees that Israel would not immediately resume the war after this period, in exchange for the release of five living hostages on the first day of the truce and an additional five on the last day. Axios reported Tuesday that this deal differed from Witkoff's proposal, which would entail a ceasefire lasting between 45 and 60 days in exchange for the release of 19 living hostages and 10 deceased hostages, along with the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The Axios report also cited an unnamed Israeli official alleging that Bahbah may have gone beyond the guidelines provided to him by Witkoff in negotiating with Hamas representatives in Doha. The latest setback came as Israel prepared to intensify operations in the Gaza Strip in line with "Operations Gideon's Chariots," described by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as the second phase of its efforts to defeat Hamas, neutralize the threat posed by Gaza and return the remaining hostages held there. IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned residents of Khan Younis, Bani Suhaila, Abasan and Al-Qaraa on Monday of an imminent "unprecedented attack to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organizations," urging them to evacuate west to Al-Mawasi. The IDF announced that same day that forces of the 36th Division had completed operations in Gaza's southern region of Rafah and would be advancing into Khan Younis. Their operations have led to the creation of a so-called "Morag Corridor," between the two regions, establishing a third axis of Israeli control in Gaza following the IDF's earlier establishment of control over the Philadelphi Corridor on the border between Rafah and Egypt, and the Netzarim Corridor between Gaza City and northern Gaza. Yet Israel's offensive has also been met with growing international condemnation, as well as indications of a growing rift between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump reiterated his desire for Israel to conclude the war in a timely manner, a sentiment he had repeatedly conveyed to Netanyahu prior to taking office in January. "We want to see if we can stop that," Trump said. "And Israel, we've been talking to them, and we want to see if we can stop that whole situation as quickly as possible." With Israeli officials cited by Israeli outlets rejecting Hamas' latest proposal on Monday, Netanyahu initially appeared to indicate that a breakthrough on talks was imminent, saying "I really hope we can announce something regarding the hostages, if not today, then tomorrow" in a video statement. However, a senior Israeli official cited by the Times of Israel later downplayed the remarks, saying the "the prime minister meant that we will not give up on freeing our hostages, and if we don't achieve that, hopefully in the coming days, we will achieve it later on." Hamas, meanwhile, has continued to call for global pressure against Israel over its "its brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip, which escalates its war of genocide and starvation against defenseless civilians, children, and women for 600 days; in a blatant violation of all international norms, laws, and divine teachings, and in shameless disregard for all UN resolutions and the positions of nations rejecting such crimes," according to a statement issued Tuesday. The group called for "days of global rage" to be held worldwide this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. "We the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), renew our call to the masses of our Ummah (Islamic world) and the free people worldwide to intensify all forms of global mobilization and action in cities and squares across the world against the aggression, genocide, and starvation inflicted upon our people in the Gaza Strip," the group said. Related Articles US Refutes Hamas Claims It's Agreed to Ceasefire With Israel: ReportIran Threatens Strike on Israel as US Talks Hang in BalanceWhy Israel's New Gaza Operation Is DifferentMap Shows Countries Condemning Israel Over Gaza Offensive 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Who Is Bishara Bahbah? Trump's Palestinian-American Backchannel With Hamas
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. With reports of a new setback in the White House's efforts to strike a new ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, the man serving as an unofficial conduit between President Donald Trump and the Palestinian militant group has increasingly emerged in the spotlight. Bishara Bahbah is a Palestinian-American activist and academic whose position in facilitating talks between the Trump administration and Hamas was first revealed earlier this month by the Times of Israel, following discussions that led to the release of dual U.S.-Israeli national Edan Alexander from Gaza. He's since been tasked with helping to secure a broader agreement that would involve the release of additional hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a temporary ceasefire. Yet diverging details have surfaced of the proposal put forth by Trump's official representative, Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. Bishara Bahbah, then serving as national chairman for Arab Americans for Trump, answers questions during an interview with the Associated Press, on August 14, 2024, in Dearborn, Michigan. Bishara Bahbah, then serving as national chairman for Arab Americans for Trump, answers questions during an interview with the Associated Press, on August 14, 2024, in Dearborn, Michigan. Jose Juarez/AP After Reuters reported Monday, citing an unnamed Palestinian official, that Hamas had agreed to the U.S. offer, Witkoff dismissed the news, saying that what he had seen from Hamas was "completely unacceptable." Newsweek has reached out to Bahbah, the Israeli Consulate General in New York, Hamas and the White House for comment. From Scholar to Statesman Bahbah was born in 1958 in East Jerusalem to parents who fled the first Arab-Israeli war over competing Israeli and Palestinian territorial claims. His family settled in the United States in the 1970s, according to the New Arab, and he went on to earn a finance degree at Harvard University. Bahbah held a number of positions, including editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem-based newspaper Al-Fajr and associate director of Harvard's Middle East Institute, before serving as a representative to Middle East arms control and regional security peace talks. He outlined his views regarding past and future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations during a February 2021 interview with the Wilson Center. "With regarding to the format of any future negotiations, I think that they should be more interactive," Bahbah said at the time. "You don't make policies by reading speeches. You make policies by sitting together and outlining each other's concerns regarding the issues that they are negotiating over. The parties should be clear about what each side hopes to achieve because of those negotiations. The more face-to-face negotiations are, the more they will tend to be fruitful." "And in negotiations, if you start with posturing, you get nowhere, because it then becomes a zero-sum exercise," he added. "Successful negotiations happen when the two sides see the benefits that each side hopes to achieve from those negotiations." Bahbah also served as managing director of the charity United Palestinian Appeal and founded the Palestine Center, both based in Washington, D.C. A longtime Democrat, according to an interview conducted last June by TRT World, he broke with President Joe Biden's administration over its handling of the war in Gaza, which erupted in October 2023 following a Hamas-led attack on Israel. He first joined the Trump campaign last May, establishing "Arab Americans for a Better America," followed by "Arab Americans for Trump" to rally Arab support for the Republican candidate. Bahbah has also expressed criticism of Trump's approach to the conflict, however, rebranding "Arab Americans for Trump" to "Arab Americans for Peace" in response to Trump's proposal of resettling Palestinians outside of Gaza in February. Yet he appears to have only grown more central to Trump's attempts to secure a new ceasefire deal after the previous agreement brokered by the incoming administration's team, spearheaded by Witkoff, along with Biden's outgoing team in January unraveled in March. U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a swearing-in ceremony for Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff in the Oval Office at the White House on May 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a swearing-in ceremony for Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff in the Oval Office at the White House on May 06, 2025 in Washington, told Israel's Channel 12 outlet last month that he was contacted directly by Hamas spokesperson Ghazi Hamad, who asked him to open a new channel with U.S. officials, ultimately leading to Alexander's release. Communication Breakdown While Alexander's release appeared to signal a potential breakthrough, negotiations in Doha have continued to stall, with Qatari Prime Minister Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani citing "fundamental differences between parties" last week. A number of Arabic-language outlets, including Al Mayadeen, Al Jazeera and Sky News Arabia reported Monday that Hamas had agreed to a U.S. deal that would include a ceasefire lasting between 60 and 70 days, as well as U.S. guarantees that Israel would not immediately resume the war after this period, in exchange for the release of five living hostages on the first day of the truce and an additional five on the last day. Axios reported Tuesday that this deal differed from Witkoff's proposal, which would entail a ceasefire lasting between 45 and 60 days in exchange for the release of 19 living hostages and 10 deceased hostages, along with the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The Axios report also cited an unnamed Israeli official alleging that Bahbah may have gone beyond the guidelines provided to him by Witkoff in negotiating with Hamas representatives in Doha. New Operations Loom The latest setback came as Israel prepared to intensify operations in the Gaza Strip in line with "Operations Gideon's Chariots," described by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as the second phase of its efforts to defeat Hamas, neutralize the threat posed by Gaza and return the remaining hostages held there. IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned residents of Khan Younis, Bani Suhaila, Abasan and Al-Qaraa on Monday of an imminent "unprecedented attack to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organizations," urging them to evacuate west to Al-Mawasi. People watch as smoke billows following an Israeli strike in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip on May 25, 2025. People watch as smoke billows following an Israeli strike in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip on May 25, 2025. BASHAR TALEB/AFP via Getty Images The IDF announced that same day that forces of the 36th Division had completed operations in Gaza's southern region of Rafah and would be advancing into Khan Younis. Their operations have led to the creation of a so-called "Morag Corridor," between the two regions, establishing a third axis of Israeli control in Gaza following the IDF's earlier establishment of control over the Philadelphi Corridor on the border between Rafah and Egypt, and the Netzarim Corridor between Gaza City and northern Gaza. Yet Israel's offensive has also been met with growing international condemnation, as well as indications of a growing rift between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump reiterated his desire for Israel to conclude the war in a timely manner, a sentiment he had repeatedly conveyed to Netanyahu prior to taking office in January. "We want to see if we can stop that," Trump said. "And Israel, we've been talking to them, and we want to see if we can stop that whole situation as quickly as possible." With Israeli officials cited by Israeli outlets rejecting Hamas' latest proposal on Monday, Netanyahu initially appeared to indicate that a breakthrough on talks was imminent, saying "I really hope we can announce something regarding the hostages, if not today, then tomorrow" in a video statement. However, a senior Israeli official cited by the Times of Israel later downplayed the remarks, saying the "the prime minister meant that we will not give up on freeing our hostages, and if we don't achieve that, hopefully in the coming days, we will achieve it later on." Hamas, meanwhile, has continued to call for global pressure against Israel over its "its brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip, which escalates its war of genocide and starvation against defenseless civilians, children, and women for 600 days; in a blatant violation of all international norms, laws, and divine teachings, and in shameless disregard for all UN resolutions and the positions of nations rejecting such crimes," according to a statement issued Tuesday. The group called for "days of global rage" to be held worldwide this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. "We the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), renew our call to the masses of our Ummah (Islamic world) and the free people worldwide to intensify all forms of global mobilization and action in cities and squares across the world against the aggression, genocide, and starvation inflicted upon our people in the Gaza Strip," the group said.
