A senior Hamas official, Basem Naim, has publicly thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his role in achieving the recent peace agreement between Israel and Hamas.
In an interview with Sky News journalist Yalda Hakim, Naim emphasized that the ceasefire would not have been possible without Trump’s personal intervention, but urged that the U.S. president continue applying pressure on Israel to ensure compliance with the agreement.
Naim also indicated that Hamas would be willing to withdraw to allow a Palestinian body to govern Gaza post-conflict, while remaining present on the ground.
However, he strongly criticized the idea of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair having any future role in Gaza, citing longstanding resentment over Blair’s involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Regarding Tony Blair, unfortunately, we Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, and perhaps others around the world, have very bad memories of him. We still remember his role in the deaths of thousands or even millions of civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq. We remember the destruction in Iraq and Afghanistan very well,” Naim said.
Plans proposed by President Trump had included Blair as part of an international supervisory body, the so-called Peace Council or Peace Board, which would oversee governance according to Netanyahu-approved plans, with Palestinian technocrats managing day-to-day affairs.
