Anyone who knows history knows that Hamas - a terror organization built on lies, hatred, and blood - will never follow a single step of a ceasefire agreement. Yet President Donald Trump presented a bold, twenty-step framework, and the world watched in awe as Hamas and its international defenders appeared to accept it.
Did anyone really believe that a group like Hamas could honor twenty steps of peace when they cannot and do not want to uphold even one?
The truth is simple: they fell into a trap.
President Trump’s approach was not born of naïveté. It was a calculated, strategic maneuver rooted in his deep understanding of human behavior, power, and global theater. When he flew to Egypt and convened world leaders - many of whom have historically sided with Hamas or stood against Israel - he wasn’t just gathering diplomats. He was staging a masterclass in psychological and geopolitical strategy.
By inviting these leaders to the table, President Trump gave them a sense of importance, involvement, and shared victory. He made them feel part of something historic. They became emotionally and politically invested in a “ceasefire” they believed was genuine, while Trump’s real intention was far more profound: to preoccupy them, neutralize them, and pressure Hamas into submission.
The timing was no coincidence. President Trump brought those same world leaders together to celebrate on the very day the hostages were released, shortly after he addressed the Israeli Knesset - an act of solidarity and statesmanship that underscored America’s unwavering support for Israel. His decision to fly to the Middle East, to stand in the region and create momentum through sheer presence and leadership, was a stroke of genius.
By doing so, he guaranteed that his network of world leaders would use their collective influence to pressure Hamas to free every living hostage. The incentive was irresistible: they would stand beside President Trump in Egypt, receive honor and praise before the cameras, and share in the triumph of “peace.”
Trump created an illusion - a fragile construction built on political toothpicks - but one strong enough to serve its purpose. The illusion bought time, forced action, and saved lives.
However, anyone who thinks they can make a deal with the devil is mistaken. Hamas remains what it has always been: a terrorist organization incapable of truth, incapable of peace, incapable of humanity. Today’s events in Rafah prove it once again - as Hamas terrorists opened anti-tank fire at IDF troops during the supposed ceasefire, shattering the illusion of peace that some still desperately cling to. And two more Israeli families joined the bereaved.
President Trump understood this from the start. His “smoke screen” strategy was never about believing Hamas could change; it seems it was about manipulating the world stage to expose their true nature while protecting Israel’s right to act decisively.
And although clearly a smoke screen, we are still hoping for the best - and if anything positive comes out of it for Israel’s security or for world peace, that will be extra credit. But it’s deeply troubling that this agreement offers no ultimatum for Hamas to surrender its control and weapons. The President of the United States is well aware of that risk, yet chose to prioritize the release of hostages rather than exert too much pressure at this stage. Hopefully, it is part of his broader vision - to leave Hamas under the impression that they can maintain control, and only once the hostages are freed, to leverage the ceasefire itself as a tool to demand their disarmament at a time and manner of his choosing.
Hamas fell into his trap. The international community, distracted by the illusion of diplomacy, found itself invested in a process that ultimately achieved one real result: the release of the living hostages. Once that humanitarian victory was secured, the smokescreen began to lift - and the true picture of Hamas’s treachery came back into focus, let alone its barbaric murders of Gazans themselves.
Now, the world faces a moment of clarity. There can be no illusions left about who Hamas is or what it represents. Ceasefires with terrorists are not peace; they are pauses in evil. President Trump’s strategy exposed that truth and reclaimed moral clarity on the global stage. We are confident he will live up to that moral clarity.
Strength, not weakness, brings peace. Strategy, not slogans, delivers results.
And history will remember this moment - not as another failed ceasefire, but as the day Hamas was outplayed by the very forces it sought to deceive.
Duvi Honig is the Founder and CEO of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce and creator of the annual JBiz Expo & Business Conference. He works closely with U.S. and international government leaders to build bridges through commerce and promote unity through strategic diplomacy.