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Dealing with Hamas: What a former hostage negotiator learned
What's it like to negotiate directly with Hamas?
On GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, Alex Kliment spoke with Gershon Baskin, a hostage negotiator who's dealt directly with Hamas, about the 240 estimated Israeli hostages being held captive in Gaza, what it will take to bring them home, and how to find common in tough negotiations. When Baskin secured the 2011 release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli solider held captive for 5 years, he developed a relationship with Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas leader who’s currently a spokesperson for the war in Gaza.
“The main thing that worked in the past was time,” Baskin tells Kilment, “[Hamad and I] spoke more than a thousand times. In the end, it was the trust that developed between us that enabled us to expose all our cards.”
What is happening today in Gaza is entirely unprecedented, Baskin says. There is no direct contact between the two sides, so they have to use third parties to negotiate, each having their own interest and stake in the situation. Add to that, the fact that among the hostages are many women, young children, and elderly people, making the stakes even higher. Israeli is willing to pay a high price to secure their release, but will they agree to the price Hamas wants?
Watch the episode: Is an Israel-Palestine two-state solution possible?
Catch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week at gzeromedia.com/gzeroworld or on US public television. Check local listings.
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Is an Israel-Palestine two-state solution possible?
Is a two-state solution still possible for Israel and Palestine? Ehud Barak weighs in.
On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer sits down with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to discuss the ongoing war with Hamas, the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and whether the idea of a two-state solution with Palestine is still realistic. Barak participated in the 2000 Camp David summit with Yasser Arafat and has arguably come closer than any Israeli leader in modern to securing peace, though he ultimately failed.
“I’ve never lost sight of the idea that the only viable, long-term solution for this conflict in the Middle East remains, unfortunately, the two-state solution,” Barak tells Bremmer.
Today, Barak is critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies of tacitly viewing Hamas in Gaza as an asset and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank as a liability, instead of the other way around. He also admits that they should have gotten more humanitarian aid into Gaza sooner, but argues that the goal of destroying Hamas is critical for Israel’s future. Ultimately, he says the 240 estimated hostages still being held captive should be prioritized above all else, and that failing rescue them would amount to “abandonment” by the Israeli government.
Watch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week online and on US public television. Check local listings.
- Hamas attacks in Israel ignite war ›
- Ian Bremmer: Understanding the Israel-Hamas war ›
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- Viewpoint: How Israel-Palestine conflict became a real “Holy War” ›
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Israel-Hamas war: "Just bring them back," says brother of 9-year-old Israeli hostage
Few people can grasp the horror that is Roy Zichri's daily life. Ever since his nine-year-old brother was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th, along with his mother, Keren, and his grandparents, Roy and his family have been doing everything possible to bring the hostages home. But as Ohad Munder-Zichri experienced his ninth birthday somewhere in Gaza under Hamas captors this week, Roy has felt as powerless as the families of the 20 or so other children currently being held hostage (not to mention the 200+ total captives).
In the latest episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the show's executive producer, Tony Maciulis, asks Roy what message he has for Ohad's Hamas captors. "No message," Roy responds, after an emotional pause. "No message. Just bring them back as soon as possible."
With Hamas' release of a few hostages in the past few days, there is renewed hope for those still being held captive. But as Israel's military continues to bomb Gaza in anticipation of a bloody ground invasion, the future of those hostages remains very much in doubt. In the meantime, Roy wants the world to know how special his young brother is. "Him and I, we have a very strong connection. We have our own jokes and our own games, and he's very lovable and adorable."
Catch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week at gzeromedia.com/gzeroworld and on US public television. Check local listings.
- The Israel-Hamas war: Where we are, two weeks in ›
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- Saving US hostages in Gaza: Use Egypt as intermediary, urges Rep. Mike Waltz ›
- America's tightrope walk with the Israel-Hamas war ›
- Ian Bremmer: Understanding the Israel-Hamas war ›
- Israel-Hamas war: Hostage release doesn't mean the end is near - GZERO Media ›
Saving US hostages in Gaza: Use Egypt as intermediary, urges Rep. Mike Waltz
American citizens are being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. President Biden has said that the US government is pursuing all available avenues to bring them home. But how does that happen? US Representative Mike Waltz is a decorated veteran and knows how hard it is to pull something like this off in the middle of a war zone.
"I could just tell you as a former Green Beret that for a hostage rescue to be successful down in the tunnels where it is incredibly difficult to intercept any type of communications, GPS doesn't work, is quite difficult," he tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World. "I mean, there is a reason Hamas has built this massive tunnel network. It's incredibly difficult to get to. They will constantly be moving them around. I mean, this is just a Gordian knot in terms of trying to get these folks militarily. So at the end of the day, we have, look, we have historic intermediaries."
But what happens when those intermediaries, like Qatar, are also housing top Hamas leaders? Tune into the latest episode of GZERO World for a full and nuanced episode on the ongoing crisis in Israel.
Catch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week at gzeromedia.com/gzeroworld or on US public television. Check local listings.
Will Israel's war with Hamas spread north to Lebanon?
In Beirut, a little over 50 miles from the Israeli border, there are few signs of the violent conflict capturing the world's attention. At least for now. Further south, there have been almost daily exchanges of rocket fire between the Israeli Defense Forces and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group that dominates southern Lebanon and is a regional power in its own right.
Fear is growing, even in the north, that the war between Israel and Hamas could spill over into a broader regional conflict, GZERO's Fin DePoncier reports from Beirut. But Lebanon is reeling from its own internal struggles–It suffered a devastating economic collapse in 2019 that was exacerbated by the 2020 pandemic and a deadly explosion at the Port of Beirut that caused billions in damage. It's also politically paralyzed; its divided parliament hasn't been able to elect a president since Michel Aoun left office in 2022.
DePoncier is in Beirut to hear from its diverse population about what they think about their country's precarious position and what it would mean if Lebanon gets dragged into Israel's war with Hamas. Some people see themselves as entirely removed from the conflict, others would pick up arms to fight, but everyone is bracing for the worst. For now, all eyes are on Hezbollah and the southern border.
Watch more about the situation in the Middle East on the upcoming episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer.
Catch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week at gzeromedia.com/gzeroworld and on US public television. Check local listings.
- Can this election save Lebanon? ›
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- Ian Bremmer: Understanding the Israel-Hamas war ›
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- Skirmishes with Hezbollah threaten escalation ›
- Podcast: What's the US role in the Israel-Hamas war? Views from Sen. Chris Murphy & Rep. Mike Waltz - GZERO Media ›