Trump Secures Israel-Hamas Ceasefire

Ian D’Amato

Staff Writer

On Oct. 8, President Donald Trump announced a peace deal between Hamas and Israel, which was then officially signed into action on Oct. 13. The peace deal came nearly two years after the conflict began.

Along with the peace deal, Trump was able to rescue 20 Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas, and Israel released 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in return, according to NBC News.

Emotional videos have circulated online of the hostages returning to their families after a grueling two years of torture. There is still a total of 24 missing dead Israeli bodies, which are being searched for by the International Red Cross and Israeli troops.

 President Trump traveled to Egypt following the signing of the peace deal to attend a “peace summit.” While on Air Force One en route to the summit, Trump told reporters, “War is over.” Many Middle Eastern and European leaders attended this summit; however, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel was not there, claiming his absence was due to the Jewish Holiday of Simchat Torah, according to The Hill. President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, who controls the parts of Gaza not overrun by Hamas, was present.

At the summit, Trump discussed his “20 Point Peace Plan,” and was honored by world leaders. This 20 Point Peace plan states that Gaza will become a deradicalized terror terror-free zone, and Hamas will be removed. Gaza will be rebuilt with the help of its Arab neighbors.

Trump also announced the deployment of 200 US troops to Israel to pair alongside Egyptian troops to aid in the Gaza conflict to ensure this war remains at its end. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif exclaimed great thanks for President Trump’s efforts to create a peace deal; he plans to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize once again.

There is still conflict in the region, and questions of who the land officially belongs to are still up for debate amongst world leaders, having been fought over for centuries. However, for the time being, Trump created what many feel is a strong document to restore peace and order in the region.

The U.S, being one of Israel’s greatest allies, vows to continue sending them military support so they can defend their borders in the event Hamas breaks the peace deal, which they have been known to do in the past.