Former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan has drawn sharp criticism for expressing concerns that Hamas is losing influence in a peace agreement brokered by former U.S. President Donald J. Trump, which involves the return of Israeli hostages. Hasan’s remarks, made on October 9, 2025, via social media platform X (formerly Twitter), suggested Israel might exploit the deal to reclaim remaining captives before resuming military actions.
Hasan stated, “I said yesterday that my biggest fear was that Israel uses this deal to get back their remaining hostages and then restarts the bombing and genocide.” He argued that Hamas’s leverage relies on holding Jewish lives, a claim he supported by referencing Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Smotrich has advocated for dismantling Hamas and disarming Gaza but opposed the peace agreement, which was approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet.
Hasan’s comments have provoked backlash, with critics accusing him of downplaying the significance of hostages returning to their families. The former host, who was dismissed from MSNBC in 2024, has since joined Qatari-funded Al Jazeera and continued amplifying anti-Israel narratives. His past remarks, including describing non-Muslims as “animals,” have further fueled scrutiny of his perspective.
