Thanks to Trump's 'Peace' Plan, Hamas Even Has Time to Hold Elections
by Khaled Abu Toameh • January 1, 2026 at 5:00 am
[T]he Iran-backed Palestinian terror group Hamas is planning to elect a new leader for its political bureau and replace many of its members who were killed during the fighting with Israel. Hamas's goal: to show the world that it is not going anywhere; that it now, because it holds an internal election, should be considered a legitimate, respectable government, and that it solidly intends to maintain its control of the Gaza Strip, in violation of US President Donald J. Trump's 20-point peace plan.
The terror group has simply exploited Trump's ceasefire plan to rearm, regroup and consolidate its civilian and military control in areas of the Gaza Strip in which Israeli forces are not present since the ceasefire agreement took effect. For Hamas, Trump's plan is just another temporary ceasefire that allows it to entrench its position and restock its military capabilities.
"Hamas understood that overt control of the Strip would deter the international community from transferring the funds required for reconstruction, delay the rebuilding of the Strip and could spark civilian unrest, and therefore signaled its willingness to transfer the civilian administration to a Palestinian technocratic government, while refusing to disarm." — The Meir Amit Terrorism Information Center, November 3, 2025.
Here is what the Trump administration needs to understand: Hamas, like ISIS, as a deeply committed terrorist organization, has no right to exist. Its military, civilian, and political infrastructure needs to be completely dismantled and destroyed. Unfortunately, this is the only way to achieve security and stability in the Middle East and prevent another October 7-style massacre against Israel.
As part of its effort to emerge as a legitimate actor in the Palestinian arena in the aftermath of the war in the Gaza Strip, the Iran-backed Palestinian terror group Hamas is planning to elect a new leader for its political bureau and replace many of its members who were killed during the fighting with Israel. Hamas's goal: to show the world that it is not going anywhere; that it now, because it holds an internal election, should be considered a legitimate, respectable government, and that it solidly intends to maintain its control of the Gaza Strip, in violation of US President Donald J. Trump's 20-point peace plan.
According to a report in the Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq al-Awsat:
