Retired Major General Eliezer (Cheyney) Marom, former commander of the Israeli Navy, assessed on Sunday morning in an interview with Radio 103FM that the emerging agreement between Israel and Hamas is the result of heavy international pressure, and noted that Turkey is playing a central role in the talks.
“Hamas, like Israel, is looking for a victory narrative,” Marom said. “Hamas will eventually have to explain to its members and supporters why it agreed to sign this deal, if it even agrees at all. It has a lot of supporters. If elections were held today in Judea and Samaria, around 70% would vote for it, and even in Gaza, it still has many supporters.”
He highlighted two main factors pushing for the agreement: “There are two vectors here—the first is the United States, which is working strongly on Israel and its Arab partners. The second is the Arab Islamist vector, stretching from Indonesia to Turkey.”
Marom said Turkey is a key player in the negotiations: “Turkey is the most important player entering now; it is one of the leading countries for the Muslim Brotherhood. I think there is a good chance that Hamas will indeed have to say yes, because Turkey has significant interests in the U.S. and wants to advance them.”
He added that the pressure on Hamas is increasing: “When you put all of this together, it will be hard for Hamas this time to say ‘no’ to the coalition of countries saying, ‘Guys, enough. We’ll support you, but we also have our own interests.’”
Regarding Israel’s diplomatic position in the world, Marom said: “Throughout the two years of the war, we maneuvered ourselves into a position where we are in a weak spot internationally. Right now, there’s only one tree we’re hanging on—one country supporting us, and that’s the United States.”
He noted that this dependence strengthens the U.S. president’s ability to influence Israel: “This is Trump’s strength, and it gives him the leverage to push this deal on Israel. He’s telling Israel: ‘If you don’t go along with the deal now, I may withdraw my support.’ Five minutes later, the E3 countries will submit a proposal to the UN Security Council, and if the U.S. does not use its veto, we’re in very serious trouble.”