US President Donald Trump’s aspiration for the Nobel Peace Prize this year remained unfulfilled as the award went to Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela. Yet, President Trump appeared determined to achieve a breakthrough that could bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker. His administration hastened efforts to finalize the first phase of a peace deal between Israel and Hamas, a move seen as a calculated attempt to strengthen his claim to the prize and reinforce his image as a mediator in global conflicts. The White House even declared him the “Peace President,” while several countries extended support to his nomination.
The first phase of Trump’s 20-point peace plan includes the release and exchange of hostages by Israel and Hamas—an outcome eagerly awaited by both Israeli and Palestinian civilians. The plan calls for a cessation of hostilities, withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the facilitation of humanitarian aid, ensuring adequate food and medicine reach Gazans. It proposes that Gaza be placed under a transitional authority comprising representatives from Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and a civil arm of the Palestinian Authority, with elections to be held within a year.
Both Israel and Hamas have agreed to this first phase. Hamas, whose military and organizational capacities have been severely diminished after months of Israeli operations, now finds itself weakened and isolated. Many of its leaders have been killed, and support from its traditional allies, Hezbollah and Iran—both also targeted by Israeli strikes—has waned. The militant group, devastated and alienated from its civilian base, appeared eager for a truce that would halt the relentless Israeli assault on Gaza.
The Trump administration, until recently, had staunchly supported Israel’s military campaign, continuing to provide arms and political backing despite the staggering civilian toll and deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Trump’s sudden pivot toward peace, therefore, seems less a moral awakening than a strategic recalibration.
Behind Trump’s peace initiative lies both political calculation and an enduring bias toward Israel. Together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he recognizes that Israel’s international standing has eroded drastically. Global sympathy has shifted towards the Palestinians, and calls for Palestinian statehood have grown louder. In a UN vote in September, 142 countries supported the establishment of a Palestinian state, while only ten opposed it. Trump must have realized that Israel’s unrestrained military operations not only undermined its moral legitimacy but also weakened Washington’s influence in the region. His peace plan, therefore, aims to ease international pressure on Israel and to temper the surging global demand for Palestinian statehood.
However, the plan falls short of addressing the root causes of the conflict. It sidesteps the contentious issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and fails to engage meaningfully with the broader Palestinian demand for sovereignty and an end to occupation. As long as Palestinians continue to endure humiliation, eviction, and statelessness, the prospect of lasting peace will remain distant. The proposed arrangement may stop the current fighting, but it risks being another temporary pause rather than a durable settlement.
Trump’s peace plan focuses primarily on eliminating Hamas’s control over Gaza and initiating reconstruction under an interim authority, but it excludes genuine Palestinian representation. Many credible Palestinian leaders, particularly those critical of Israel, have been imprisoned or silenced. Without engaging these voices, any peace achieved will be fragile and short-lived.
For now, the “Peace President” may enjoy a brief moment of diplomatic success, but without addressing the deeper injustices at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, Trump’s peace will likely remain just that—a temporary thaw in an unending storm.
---
Comments