- Trump dispatches envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to Egypt for Gaza peace talks.
- Hamas and Israel cautiously back Trump’s 20-point peace plan with conditions.
- Proposal includes hostage release, phased Israeli withdrawal, and an Arab-led stabilization force.
- Over 67,000 Palestinians killed; humanitarian crisis worsens.
- Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and others nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
- The deal could mark Trump’s biggest diplomatic victory yet.
President Donald J. Trump is once again on the cusp of making history. After claiming credit for breakthroughs ranging from Pakistan-India backchannel talks to peace initiatives in Africa and the Caucasus, Trump is now attempting the most ambitious feat of his political career: ending the Gaza war by forcing Israel and Hamas to accept his 20-point peace plan.
This weekend, Trump is dispatching his most trusted envoys—real estate magnate-turned-diplomat Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner—to Cairo to push through the final details of a landmark hostage release and cease-fire agreement. Their mission underscores Trump’s determination to go beyond rhetoric and deliver what no American president has achieved: a structured framework for lasting peace in Gaza.
Both Hamas and Israel have agreed “in principle” to Trump’s plan, though each side has flagged serious reservations. Hamas has linked the release of all hostages to guarantees about an Israeli military withdrawal, the lifting of the blockade, and assurances against future assaults. Israel, meanwhile, insists that any end to the war must come on its own terms—especially with Hamas relinquishing weapons and power.
Still, Trump hailed Hamas’s response as a “major step forward.” Addressing reporters at the White House, he struck an optimistic note: “We have to get the final word down in concrete. I look forward to having the hostages come home. The battlefield must become safe for peace.”
A Fragile but Historic Opportunity
The plan’s fragility cannot be overstated. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted at only a conditional halt to hostilities, while Hamas leaders continue to press for binding guarantees. Yet, despite the gaps, Trump has managed what seemed impossible just weeks ago: pulling both sworn enemies toward the same negotiating table.
Trump’s 20-point blueprint envisions a phased Israeli withdrawal, a U.S.-chaired “Board of Peace” to supervise Gaza’s interim governance, and the entry of an Arab-led stabilization force to keep order. Humanitarian aid would begin flowing immediately, while Hamas would be required to renounce its weapons and governing role.
Israeli officials confirmed on Saturday that their military had begun easing offensive operations in Gaza, signaling a temporary shift in posture. “The cessation of IDF offensive activity is intended to allow Hamas to begin preparations for the release of the hostages,” one official said, while stressing that this is “not an official cease-fire.”
The Stakes on the Ground
On the ground, the war has inflicted catastrophic losses. More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry, while hundreds of thousands remain displaced. The enclave is in ruins, with persistent shortages of food and medicine.
For ordinary Palestinians like Hani Ramadan, a father of two in central Gaza, the Trump plan represents a glimmer of survival. “We have reached a stage where we just want any solution whereby we will not be targeted,” he said. “We want to eat, drink, and live.”
The urgency is also clear from the regional diplomacy surrounding Trump’s effort. Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey—Hamas’s closest allies—have warned the group’s leadership that this may be their final chance to secure a dignified exit from a war that began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault on southern Israel.
Trump’s Nobel Moment?
In recent months, several countries including Pakistan and Azerbaijan have nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his global track record of conflict mediation. From facilitating cease-fire understandings between India and Pakistan, to shepherding a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Trump has aggressively styled himself as a statesman determined to bring stability to volatile regions.
Whether his Gaza peace gambit succeeds will define not only his legacy in the Middle East but also the future trajectory of a conflict that has resisted resolution for generations.
If the hostage release goes forward and both sides commit to Trump’s plan, the former president could lay claim to ending the “mother of all disputes” in the modern Middle East. If it fails, it will be another reminder of how entrenched the cycle of violence has become.
But for now, Trump has put his political capital on the line. With Witkoff and Kushner set to arrive in Cairo, the world watches to see if the unconventional dealmaker can once again defy the odds and carve out peace from the heart of war.