Hamas Stalls, Hostages Suffer — and the World Waits for Trump at the UN

As President Donald Trump prepares to address the United Nations on Tuesday, Hamas has once again rejected proposals to release the 48 remaining hostages. The group is now demanding a 60-day ceasefire — a tactic that looks less like negotiation and more like a calculated delay to increase the suffering of Israeli families.

The last known living American hostage, Edan Alexander, was freed earlier this year. But reports suggest other Americans are still unaccounted for, either held or killed in captivity. For Israel, every delay prolongs a national trauma — while Hamas uses the families’ anguish as a bargaining chip.

The question now looms: Should a president negotiate with terrorists who have consistently rejected every offer?

On one side, giving in risks rewarding Hamas with political leverage, even advancing calls for a Palestinian state — a move that would embolden terrorists and escalate the crisis. On the other, refusing to bend could mean Hamas decides to kill those hostages still alive.

Do you sacrifice the lives of 48 to preserve the security of an entire nation? Or do you ransom the nation’s future in an attempt to save them?

Trump has been blunt: “I want all the hostages here and now. Not 1 or 2 or 10. All of them!”

It’s a moral and political dilemma that will define not only America’s stance on terrorism but also the future of the Middle East.