Last week, Hamas and President Donald Trump’s so-called Board of Peace announced they had formally agreed to terms addressing the weapons held by the Palestinian resistance. Sources from within Hamas told Drop Site that the issue was contentious and hotly debated internally, but ultimately the group moved forward with a strategy that the ball would now be in the court of Israel, the U.S., and regional mediators to uphold the deal. Almost immediately after the agreement was announced, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not withdraw Israeli forces, as required by the deal, and intended to continue striking Gaza. Israel has killed more than 1,200 Palestinians since the October 2025 ceasefire was announced and has extended its occupation in total violation of the terms Israel signed and Trump guaranteed. This is part of a longstanding pattern that plays out after Palestinian negotiators accept terms that the U.S. claims will end the war and occupation.
On the Drop Site News livestream, Jeremy Scahill speaks with Palestinian academic and analyst Sami Al-Arian about why Hamas agreed to the terms, which include a decommissioning of heavy weapons and military infrastructure in Gaza. They also discuss the future of Palestinian resistance and the upcoming elections, in which Europe and the U.S. have worked with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to create a framework for banning Hamas and other pro-resistance factions from participating.
Then, Jeremy and Ryan Grim discuss Tuesday’s primary elections in Michigan and Missouri, including the closely watched race between Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens. Later, they discuss the 2028 campaign, and the difficulty that could be faced by potential candidate Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who passed on an opportunity to be the leading moral voice of opposition to Israel’s genocide, a decision that continues to be a headwind for her.
