Trump Sells Ceasefire Deal to Israel

United States President Donald Trump announced on social media July 1 that Israel has accepted parameters for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60-day ceasefire, during which time we will work with all parties to end the war.
—Donald Trump

Is the war over? Hamas still has to accept the ceasefire offer. At the moment, there is no indication it will. The current ceasefire pitch is supposed to last for 60 days, during which the U.S. would continue mediating to bring a full end to the war. But Hamas for months has repeatedly stated it will not agree to any ceasefire that doesn’t guarantee a permanent end to the war.

Israel’s war goals, meanwhile, have not changed: the permanent removal of Hamas from power in Gaza, to be replaced by local officials unaffiliated with the Palestinian Authority.

Per the 1990s Oslo Accords, the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority is supposed to govern Gaza, but it hasn’t done so since 2007.

What happens if talks break down? President Trump stated in his post: “I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this deal, because it will not get better—it will only get worse.”

“We’ll do to Gaza City and the central camps what we did to Rafah. Everything will turn to dust,” one Israeli official told Axios. The official continued: “It’s not our preferred option, but if there’s no movement toward a hostage deal, we won’t have any other choice.”

Where to now? The Trumpet expects a major political realignment in Gaza. Our article “Gaza the Day After” elaborates how it may come about.