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Mkhaimar Abusada , Northwestern University

(THE CONVERSATION) Weakened militarily and facing declining Palestinian support, particularly among Gazans , Hamas was already a shadow of the militant group it once was. And then came President Donald Trump’s peace plan .

On Oct. 3, 2025, Hamas said that it accepted some aspects of the 20-point proposal , including handing over administration of the Gaza Strip to a body of independent Palestinian technocrats and releasing all remaining Israeli hostages.

Those hostage are the last of the 252 taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack – an event that two years on looks to represent a high point, so to speak, of Hamas’ power.

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