US President Donald Trump declared Thursday that he had succeeded in ending the war in Gaza, while indicating that issues pertaining to the post-war management of the territory still need to be finalized.
“Last night, we reached a momentous breakthrough in the Middle East,” Trump said at the beginning of a cabinet meeting in the White House. “We ended the war in Gaza, and on a much bigger basis, created peace… hopefully an everlasting peace in the Middle East.”
That framing is not shared by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has insisted that an end to the war can only be declared once Hamas disarms and Gaza has been demilitarized.
US President Donald Trump declared Thursday that he had succeeded in ending the war in Gaza, while indicating that issues pertaining to the post-war management of the territory still need to be finalized.
“Last night, we reached a momentous breakthrough in the Middle East,” Trump said at the beginning of a cabinet meeting in the White House. “We ended the war in Gaza, and on a much bigger basis, created peace… hopefully an everlasting peace in the Middle East.”
That framing is not shared by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has insisted that an end to the war can only be declared once Hamas disarms and Gaza has been demilitarized.
But the mediators have sold a different version in order to convince Hamas to agree to release all 48 remaining hostages up front, assuring the terror group that Israel won’t be allowed to resume the war after the captives have been returned.
Trump’s 20-point plan does envision the disarmament of Hamas, but the agreement inked earlier Thursday in Egypt was only on what the parties are describing as the “first phase,” pertaining largely to the hostage-prisoner swap and Israel’s initial, limited withdrawal from Gaza.
Asked what guarantees the US provided in negotiations to ensure that Hamas disarms and that Israel doesn’t resume the war, Trump told reporters that the first priority was securing the release of the hostages.
“That’s what people wanted more than anything else… After that, we’ll see,” Trump said, indicating that a lot remains left to be negotiated. “But [Hamas has] agreed to things, and I think it’s going to move along pretty well.”
Asked later Thursday for more details on the International Stabilization Force that subsequent, yet-to-be-approved phases of the deal envisions, Trump said it still needs “to be determined.”
Israel says it had killed some 22,000 combatants in the war as of August.
“But at some point that whole thing had to stop, and we’re going to see to it,” Trump said.
The president declined to get into specifics regarding the second phase of the agreement, but insisted that Hamas will disarm and that the IDF will pull back its troops. He highlighted the “22 different things that will take place,” apparently referring to his 20-point plan for ending the war.
“I think it will take place, and I think you can end up with peace in the Middle East,” Trump said.
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