Trump’s manoeuvre paves way for Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal
The Israel Hamas ceasefire deal took shape in a matter of days after an unexpected intervention by Donald Trump forced a shift in negotiations that had dragged on for months.
At the heart of the breakthrough was Trump’s public interpretation of Hamas’s conditional response as a clear acceptance. His reaction, issued swiftly before Israeli officials had even weighed in, effectively boxed both sides into a path toward a deal.
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Read the articleUnder the agreement, the remaining 48 hostages are to be returned, 20 of them believed to be alive, in exchange for a pause in fighting. Major questions remain over reconstruction, governance, and Hamas’s willingness to disarm, but for now, the relentless bombardment is set to stop.
The turning point followed a September Israeli airstrike in Doha on Hamas representatives during talks. The strike, which also killed a Qatari security official, triggered a rare show of unity among Gulf states. It also angered Washington, forcing Trump into rapid damage control with Qatar, a key mediator in the negotiations.
Two weeks later, Trump met Arab and Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, calling it his “most important meeting.” What followed was a 20-point ceasefire plan presented to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
The proposal demanded the release of hostages within 72 hours, Hamas relinquishing power in Gaza, and its disarmament. Hamas responded with a heavily qualified “yes”, agreeing to hostage release and political handover but resisting the disarmament demand.
Trump nonetheless declared Hamas’s statement a “yes” and urged Israel to halt its bombing. Israeli officials, caught off guard by the timing, went along with the framing, opening the door to ceasefire implementation.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar later described Trump’s approach as “brilliant,” saying it created an opportunity where none appeared to exist. “Trump not only seized an opportunity but created one by saying, ‘Well, it’s positive, and let’s move from there.’ And eventually it worked,” Saar told Fox News.
The deal does not resolve core issues around Gaza’s future or Israel’s security objectives. But it has brought about the first serious pause in fighting since October 2023, after a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and left Gaza in ruins.
More details on the terms of the ceasefire and the negotiations can be found on the White House website.
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[Image Credit | Reuters]
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