❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former MSNBC host and Islamist Mehdi Hasan expressed his worry that Hamas is losing leverage in a peace deal brokered by President Donald J. Trump, as hostages are returned to Israel.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Mehdi Hasan, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Hamas.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Statements made on October 9, 2025, via social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
💬KEY QUOTE: “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.” – Mehdi Hasan
🎯IMPACT: Hasan’s remarks have drawn criticism for appearing to lament the return of hostages to their families and loved ones.
Former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan is facing backlash over remarks he made criticizing the recent peace agreement between Israel and Hamas. The deal, brokered by President Donald J. Trump, includes the return of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) dated October 9, Hasan wrote, “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 the return of hostages would cause Hamas to lose its leverage, which he described as existing “in the form of Jewish lives.”
Hasan, who has been recorded describing non-Muslims as “animals,” cited Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to support his concern. Smotrich has emphasized the importance of dismantling Hamas and disarming Gaza, but he voted against the peace deal, which was approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet.
Hasan’s professional background has also attracted attention. After being let go from MSNBC in 2024, he rejoined Qatari-funded Al Jazeera and has continued to amplify anti-Israel commentary.
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