TEL AVIV — In a moment that reshaped the Middle East, President Donald Trump touched down in Tel Aviv on Monday, where he was met with thunderous applause from Israeli lawmakers and families long haunted by the shadow of captivity. Hours earlier, Hamas had handed over the last 20 living Israeli hostages—held since the brutal October 7, 2023, attacks—to Red Cross personnel in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis. The exchange, part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, marked the end of a grueling two-year conflict that claimed over 67,000 lives, mostly Palestinian civilians, and left Gaza in ruins.
Trump, addressing the Knesset with a beaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his side, declared the war over. “The skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still,” he said, his voice steady amid waves of cheers. “A long nightmare for both Israelis and Palestinians is over. Today, we turn the page to peace.” The president later jetted to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for a summit with leaders from more than 20 nations, where he signed the deal alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. El-Sisi called it “the birth of a glimmer of hope” for a region scarred by decades of strife.
A Deal Born of Relentless Diplomacy and Unyielding Pressure
The agreement stems from Trump’s ambitious 20-point peace plan, unveiled last month, which demanded Hamas release all 48 hostages—includng those presumed dead—in exchange for Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, and an immediate influx of humanitarian aid. What began as indirect talks through Qatar and Egypt escalated into direct U.S. involvement, with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner playing pivotal roles in secret meetings last week.
Hamas, battered by Israeli strikes and facing internal pressure from a starving population, agreed to the terms after Trump issued a stark October 5 deadline: accept or face “all hell.” The group will cede governance of Gaza to a transitional committee of Palestinian technocrats, overseen by a U.S.-led “Board of Peace” chaired by Trump and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Hamas fighters who disarm receive amnesty; those who don’t face safe passage out. Israel, in turn, has pulled back troops to lines holding about 53% of the territory, with full withdrawal tied to further phases of reconstruction funded by “very wealthy countries,” as Trump put it.
Netanyahu hailed the deal as a “diplomatic triumph,” crediting the Israeli Defense Forces’ campaign that decimated Hamas leadership. Yet, hardliners like National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned it falls short without fully dismantling Hamas, threatening coalition fractures. On the Palestinian side, Hamas thanked Trump for securing a troop pullout but pushed for more high-profile prisoner releases, including resistance icons like Marwan Barghouti—demands Israel rebuffed.
Emotional Reunions Amid a Fractured Landscape
As buses rolled into Israel carrying the freed hostages—among them twins Gali and Ziv Berman, abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza—families collapsed in tearful embraces at military bases. Ariel Cunio, 26, held captive since the initial assault, reunited with his girlfriend Arbel Yehoud, herself a January releasee. Four coffins containing remains of slain captives followed, a somber reminder of the 1,200 Israelis killed in the opening attacks.
In Gaza, crowds gathered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to welcome Palestinian prisoners, many convicted of attacks against Israel, as they stepped off buses past rubble-strewn streets. Thousands of displaced residents began trickling north to Gaza City, driven by desperation despite warnings their homes may be gone. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported famine in parts of the south, with aid trucks now poised at crossings.
Bipartisan Praise—and a Nobel Whisper
The breakthrough drew rare unity in Washington. Former President Bill Clinton, no Trump ally, issued a statement crediting the administration for “keeping everyone engaged until the agreement was reached,” urging both sides to build “lasting peace that provides dignity and security.” Republican Rep. Gus Bilirakis called it a “major step for peace and religious freedom.” Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff commended the “efforts of the Trump Administration” in a nod to cross-aisle momentum.
Trump, ever the showman, hinted at loftier ambitions, telling aides he eyes the Nobel Peace Prize—previously awarded to four U.S. presidents. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whom Trump dubbed “the greatest in history,” echoed the sentiment: “The world is safer because of your leadership.”
Shadows of Doubt: Can This Peace Endure?
For all the euphoria, skeptics abound. Historian Rashid Khalidi dismissed the plan as “not a genuine peace process,” lacking commitments to equal rights or a permanent end to Israel’s Gaza blockade. Hamas has yet to fully commit to disarming, a sticking point in phase two talks slated for next month. Israel retains half of Gaza, with no firm timeline for handover to the reformed Palestinian Authority.
Online, the triumph fueled heated debates. While Israelis celebrated in Hostages Square, some social media users reignited toxic comparisons of Trump to historical villains, drawing swift backlash amid the hostage joy. Critics like Sen. Elizabeth Warren faced ridicule for claiming partial credit, with users slamming her as tone-deaf on a day of reunions.
Trump, undeterred, teased broader horizons: “I believe Iran will be part of the whole peace situation.” As Palestinians return to shattered homes and Israelis mourn the fallen, the question lingers: Is this the dawn of enduring stability, or a fragile truce in a powder keg?
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