RUSH TRANSCRIPT Thanks to ░░░░░░░░ And I m joined ░░░░░░░░ by Michael Oren former ░░░░░░░░ ambassador to the U ░░░░░░░░ And fellow at the ░░░░░░░░ center Ambassador good to ░░░░░░░░ you now vice president ░░░░░░░░ D Vance said this ░░░░░░░░ Hamas may release hostages ░░░░░░░░ moment now Benjamin Netanyahu ░░░░░░░░ he s ready to ░░░░░░░░ receive the hostages Why ░░░░░░░░ there been some confusion ░░░░░░░░ the timing of the ░░░░░░░░ of these hostages We ░░░░░░░░ heard it was going ░░░░░░░░ be possibly tomorrow even ░░░░░░░░ Now we re hearing ░░░░░░░░ Good to be with ░░░░░░░░ ariel To the Best ░░░░░░░░ my knowledge it has ░░░░░░░░ Do With locating the ░░░░░░░░ and having Hamas Agree ░░░░░░░░ the fact that It ░░░░░░░░ has the hostages Remember ░░░░░░░░ is a terrorist organization ░░░░░░░░ engages Not just in ░░░░░░░░ Terror But also in ░░░░░░░░ And psychological terror And ░░░░░░░░ had Been intimated Intimating ░░░░░░░░ the in the previous ░░░░░░░░ That it May not ░░░░░░░░ where all The hostages ░░░░░░░░ especially the Deceased hostages ░░░░░░░░ may have to you ░░░░░░░░ spend days locating them ░░░░░░░░ they could then come ░░░░░░░░ the Israeli public And ░░░░░░░░ well listen our lists ░░░░░░░░ t exactly what your ░░░░░░░░ are And and the ░░░░░░░░ population would remain in ░░░░░░░░ deep tension and and ░░░░░░░░ distress because not all ░░░░░░░░ hostages have been returned ░░░░░░░░ I think that There ░░░░░░░░ been some last minute ░░░░░░░░ and forth between Israel ░░░░░░░░ United States and Hamas ░░░░░░░░ backers in Qatar and ░░░░░░░░ saying that Hamas indeed ░░░░░░░░ to produce every single ░░░░░░░░ hostage So if Hamas ░░░░░░░░ produce the hostages that ░░░░░░░░ is expecting talk for ░░░░░░░░ moment about the significance ░░░░░░░░ this moment and of ░░░░░░░░ deal not only for ░░░░░░░░ Israeli Palestinian conflict but ░░░░░░░░ the region at large ░░░░░░░░ let s begin with ░░░░░░░░ society For Israeli society ░░░░░░░░ is a tremendously emotional ░░░░░░░░ It s unique to ░░░░░░░░ society the way Israelis ░░░░░░░░ about hostages care about ░░░░░░░░ captives It s an ░░░░░░░░ covenant between the people ░░░░░░░░ Israel and the state ░░░░░░░░ Israel that should Israeli ░░░░░░░░ and civilians be captured ░░░░░░░░ battle that the state ░░░░░░░░ do absolutely everything in ░░░░░░░░ power to redeem them ░░░░░░░░ now this has happened ░░░░░░░░ without a price 250 ░░░░░░░░ of many Israelis are ░░░░░░░░ have to be released ░░░░░░░░ prison as part of ░░░░░░░░ exchange for the families ░░░░░░░░ those who have been ░░░░░░░░ by these by these ░░░░░░░░ it s immensely immensely ░░░░░░░░ and dangerous because we ░░░░░░░░ from the past a ░░░░░░░░ of these murderers go ░░░░░░░░ to joining terror Yahya ░░░░░░░░ the head of Hamas ░░░░░░░░ architect of October 7th ░░░░░░░░ released in an earlier ░░░░░░░░ to get back a ░░░░░░░░ hostage gilad shalit back ░░░░░░░░ 2011 So for Israel ░░░░░░░░ truly historic event for ░░░░░░░░ the potential to move ░░░░░░░░ the next stage to ░░░░░░░░ Gaza to transform Gaza ░░░░░░░░ a peaceful area and ░░░░░░░░ broadly for Israel and ░░░░░░░░ Palestinians the possibility of ░░░░░░░░ toward a political diplomatic ░░░░░░░░ in the West Bank ░░░░░░░░ beyond the entire region ░░░░░░░░ everything hinges on the ░░░░░░░░ step which as your ░░░░░░░░ said depends on Hamas ░░░░░░░░ up its guns and ░░░░░░░░ Yeah And that is ░░░░░░░░ to be seen They ░░░░░░░░ not agreed to do ░░░░░░░░ yet Ambassador Hamas appears ░░░░░░░░ be reconstituting itself in ░░░░░░░░ midst of this cease ░░░░░░░░ We ve seen video ░░░░░░░░ of them on trucks ░░░░░░░░ they re saying they ░░░░░░░░ now carrying out civic ░░░░░░░░ How will those images ░░░░░░░░ with Israelis And what ░░░░░░░░ the security establishment in ░░░░░░░░ be looking at during ░░░░░░░░ fragile time Well I ░░░░░░░░ they ll be looking ░░░░░░░░ what the United States ░░░░░░░░ Trump Administration and its ░░░░░░░░ and Jared Kushner plan ░░░░░░░░ do to execute or ░░░░░░░░ this second stage because ░░░░░░░░ Israeli army now has ░░░░░░░░ from 47 of the ░░░░░░░░ Strip the population of ░░░░░░░░ City has moved back ░░░░░░░░ that city providing type ░░░░░░░░ a human shield for ░░░░░░░░ It s the reason ░░░░░░░░ so much of this ░░░░░░░░ in Gaza because Hamas ░░░░░░░░ using that population and ░░░░░░░░ actual landscape as a ░░░░░░░░ including 500 miles of ░░░░░░░░ Beneath that Hamas retains ░░░░░░░░ 50 of its tunnel ░░░░░░░░ Ariel So it s ░░░░░░░░ there So military means ░░░░░░░░ not going to be ░░░░░░░░ executed Israel cannot go ░░░░░░░░ to fighting easily against ░░░░░░░░ now So the real ░░░░░░░░ implementation really has to ░░░░░░░░ in the diplomatic corridor ░░░░░░░░ how is the United ░░░░░░░░ going to move Qatar ░░░░░░░░ and other middle eastern ░░░░░░░░ to convince Hamas to ░░░░░░░░ up its guns It ░░░░░░░░ not going to be ░░░░░░░░ Hamas is a terrorist ░░░░░░░░ It s like saying ░░░░░░░░ ISIS al qaeda give ░░░░░░░░ your guns They give ░░░░░░░░ their guns they re ░░░░░░░░ up their DNA and ░░░░░░░░ cease to exist So ░░░░░░░░ mentioned that the return ░░░░░░░░ war is unlikely but ░░░░░░░░ Hamas does not abide ░░░░░░░░ the tenets of President ░░░░░░░░ s proposal what leverage ░░░░░░░░ the international coalition that ░░░░░░░░ being established have to ░░░░░░░░ Hamas to to coalesce ░░░░░░░░ this And how will ░░░░░░░░ perceive this Well there ░░░░░░░░ a number of tools ░░░░░░░░ have at their disposal ░░░░░░░░ is there s going ░░░░░░░░ be a tremendous amount ░░░░░░░░ humanitarian aid going into ░░░░░░░░ In the past Hamas ░░░░░░░░ steal about 60 of ░░░░░░░░ aid It would feed ░░░░░░░░ own terrorists and then ░░░░░░░░ that aid at exorbitantly ░░░░░░░░ prices on the open ░░░░░░░░ There are efforts to ░░░░░░░░ made to ensure that ░░░░░░░░ cannot get a hand ░░░░░░░░ any of that aid ░░░░░░░░ it s cutting off ░░░░░░░░ economic oxygen there it ░░░░░░░░ assuring that no guns ░░░░░░░░ get into Gaza no ░░░░░░░░ can get into Gaza ░░░░░░░░ So Hamas will be ░░░░░░░░ completely isolated Qatar Turkey ░░░░░░░░ going to banish Hamas ░░░░░░░░ from their from their ░░░░░░░░ No longer would they ░░░░░░░░ able to sit with ░░░░░░░░ in doha or in ░░░░░░░░ or istanbul And and ░░░░░░░░ m about to be ░░░░░░░░ isolated now There are ░░░░░░░░ many people in Gaza ░░░░░░░░ have deep grudges against ░░░░░░░░ for the mass destruction ░░░░░░░░ have wrought on Gaza ░░░░░░░░ are clans there are ░░░░░░░░ who are anti Hamas ░░░░░░░░ there are actually reports ░░░░░░░░ Hamas terrorists being shot ░░░░░░░░ the streets including a ░░░░░░░░ Hamas journalist who was ░░░░░░░░ shot yesterday by one ░░░░░░░░ these people who have ░░░░░░░░ listen you killed my ░░░░░░░░ You you destroyed my ░░░░░░░░ So there are ways ░░░░░░░░ Hamas that pressure can ░░░░░░░░ brought on Hamas to ░░░░░░░░ up those guns It ░░░░░░░░ t have to necessarily ░░░░░░░░ by military means So ░░░░░░░░ you ve been watching ░░░░░░░░ region for decades now ░░░░░░░░ to me about the ░░░░░░░░ of this moment and ░░░░░░░░ new landscape in the ░░░░░░░░ East You see Iran ░░░░░░░░ been neutered The Houthis ░░░░░░░░ essentially mostly irrelevant Hezbollah ░░░░░░░░ essentially ceased to exist ░░░░░░░░ is on its heels ░░░░░░░░ does that mean for ░░░░░░░░ broader region in your ░░░░░░░░ Well you know decades ░░░░░░░░ there was a war ░░░░░░░░ in the Middle East ░░░░░░░░ the six day war ░░░░░░░░ 1967 which was which ░░░░░░░░ the Middle East This ░░░░░░░░ promises to be equally ░░░░░░░░ if not even more ░░░░░░░░ You can see a ░░░░░░░░ East in a year ░░░░░░░░ now which is almost ░░░░░░░░ What we ve known ░░░░░░░░ decades past in which ░░░░░░░░ is peace between Israel ░░░░░░░░ Lebanon peace between Israel ░░░░░░░░ Syria peace between Israel ░░░░░░░░ Saudi Arabia which is ░░░░░░░░ just with Saudi Arabia ░░░░░░░░ the entire Sunni world ░░░░░░░░ means the largest Muslim ░░░░░░░░ in the world which ░░░░░░░░ outside the Middle East ░░░░░░░░ Pakistan with Indonesia you ░░░░░░░░ see railroad railroad lines ░░░░░░░░ the mediterranean with the ░░░░░░░░ Gulf and from there ░░░░░░░░ India truly truly transformative ░░░░░░░░ peace between Israel and ░░░░░░░░ Palestinians I can t ░░░░░░░░ you what form it ░░░░░░░░ take right now but ░░░░░░░░ there s a diplomatic ░░░░░░░░ there And the 20 ░░░░░░░░ developed by President Trump ░░░░░░░░ Witkoff and Jared Kushner ░░░░░░░░ for that That s ░░░░░░░░ it s such an ░░░░░░░░ document So everything everything ░░░░░░░░ change But again it ░░░░░░░░ on the next step ░░░░░░░░ Hamas give up its ░░░░░░░░ and give peace a ░░░░░░░░ in the Middle East ░░░░░░░░ a momentous occasion it ░░░░░░░░ be to see those ░░░░░░░░ released to see the ░░░░░░░░ lessening of the suffering ░░░░░░░░ Gaza and broader peace ░░░░░░░░ in the Middle East ░░░░░░░░ what a what a ░░░░░░░░ it would be Former ░░░░░░░░ Michael Oren thank you ░░░░░░░░ much for your perspective ░░░░░░░░ vice