In a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, President Donald Trump is reportedly set to forgo demanding the disarmament of Hamas as a condition for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This development follows a separate agreement on a ceasefire with the Houthi rebels in Yemen and a refusal to insist that Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel. The news was first reported on the evening of May 9, 2025, by the Kan-11 website, citing the Qatari newspaper Al-Arabi al Jadeed.
A source within the Egyptian delegation involved in the ceasefire negotiations revealed that the United States is now willing to accept compromise proposals for an agreement, no longer insisting on Hamas' disarmament. Instead, American officials have agreed to postpone any discussions regarding the control of Hamas' weapons until after a ceasefire agreement is reached.
However, the U.S. has not abandoned its demand for the release of all prisoners of war, both living and deceased. This insistence remains a critical point in the negotiations, as American officials express concerns that leaders and field commanders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad cannot be safely removed from Gaza due to various geopolitical risks.
Notably, the number of terrorists that Israel wishes to deport, estimated between 3,000 and 5,000, has been deemed unrealistic by American officials. The shift in U.S. policy appears to be influenced by recent intelligence reports indicating the lives of three hostages are in jeopardy, which has led Trump's negotiation team to reassess the effectiveness of the current approach.
Trump's associates involved in the negotiations have expressed skepticism regarding the efficacy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy of releasing prisoners through military pressure. This skepticism is particularly pertinent in light of the precarious situation regarding the hostages.
As the negotiations evolve, an Egyptian official noted that without the pressure of the U.S. demand for Hamas' disarmament, there is now cautious optimism among Trump's team regarding the potential for an agreement. This change aligns with Trump's broader strategy, which has also seen him back away from demanding Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel as a precondition for U.S. support of a Saudi civil nuclear project.
Similar concessions have been made to Iran, with Trump previously stating that Iran could possess nuclear energy for civilian purposes. Furthermore, a separate agreement with the Yemeni Houthis has left Israel isolated in facing their missile capabilities.
In a surprising statement, Trump remarked, "They told us: Please, stop bombing us, and we agreed. They no longer want us to bomb them," a comment that has raised eyebrows in Israeli political circles.
In the context of these developments, a senior representative from the Israeli security service indicated that any expansion of military operations in Gaza, which had received cabinet approval, would not commence until after Trump's scheduled visit to the Middle East on May 13, 2025. This visit will include stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
On the eve of Trump's visit, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Whitkopf met with families of the hostages and conveyed that the ceasefire agreement with the Houthis is merely a preliminary proposal. He warned that if Israel does not come to the negotiating table, even the anticipated 'Deal of the Millennium' with Saudi Arabia could be finalized without Israeli involvement. "We hope Israel will hurry to catch the historic train that has already left the station, but the U.S. won’t wait for it at the platform," Whitkopf stated.
As the situation develops, the Israeli security service has made it clear that should there be no progress in negotiations concerning the release of hostages by the end of Trump's visit, Israel will initiate a military operation with substantial force to achieve their objectives.
In a related development, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is preparing for a visit to the United States to meet with President Trump. However, this trip will only occur once a concrete trade package can be negotiated between the EU and the U.S. Von der Leyen expressed during a press conference in Brussels that she had a productive conversation with Trump both over the phone and during the Easter holidays of the Pope.
"If I go to the White House, I want to have a package that we can discuss. It needs to be concrete, and I want to have a solution we can both agree on," she stated, emphasizing the importance of a tangible agreement before her visit.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz echoed similar sentiments, urging Trump to end the ongoing trade war and abolish tariffs. "Escalating this tariff dispute is not a good idea; the best solution would be to reduce everything to zero for everyone," Merz highlighted during the same conference.
Merz had a telephone conversation with Trump earlier in the week and visited Brussels on May 9, 2025, to meet with EU and NATO leadership. He expressed hope that short-term steps could be taken to lower existing tariffs, with a longer-term goal of reaching a comprehensive trade agreement.
According to Merz, the EU and the U.S. should aim for a mutual agreement of "zero for zero," an idea that the European Commission has also proposed for industrial goods. This proposal stands in stark contrast to Trump's recent narrow trade agreement with Great Britain, which maintains a 10-percent tariff on most British goods.
During his discussions with Trump, Merz pointed out that the U.S. should engage with the EU as a whole rather than with individual member states, emphasizing that the closest trading partner for the U.S. is not Germany, France, or Poland, but Europe and the European Union.
Recent reports from Bloomberg indicate that the EU is preparing to impose new tariffs on U.S. goods worth 100 billion euros if trade negotiations do not yield satisfactory results. Additionally, Trump has introduced 100% tariffs on foreign-produced films, citing the rapid decline of the American film industry as a justification for this drastic measure.
