The Palestinian organization Hamas has in the past characterized US President, Donald Trump, as a racist who has an irrational view of Gaza.

However, according to two Palestinian officials, a phone call last month reportedly helped convince the organization that Trump could force Israel to sign a peace deal, even if all the hostages were handed over.

In the phone conversation, which was widely publicized at the time, Trump gave Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the phone to apologize to the Qatari prime minister for the Israeli strike on Doha in early September.

Trump's handling of the Israeli bombing of Qatar, which ultimately failed to kill the top Hamas officials it targeted, reinforced the Palestinian organization's belief that the American president is capable of standing up to Netanyahu and that he is determined to end the war in Gaza.

Under the peace deal, which took effect on Friday, Hamas agreed to hand over the hostages without reaching an agreement on a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Two other Palestinian Hamas officials acknowledged that it was a risky decision, but one based on the belief that the US president has invested so much in the deal that he will not let it fail.

Hamas leaders are well aware that the risk they are taking could backfire, said one Hamas official. In this context, they are concerned that once the hostages are released, Israel will resume its military operations, as happened after the January ceasefire, in which the Trump team was also closely involved.

However, in indirect talks with Israel in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh, Hamas was reassured enough by the presence of Trump's closest associates and regional players in the region to sign the ceasefire, even though the plan leaves many of the organization's key demands unresolved.