Trump Announces Gaza Peace Plan, Citing Hostage Release and Israeli Withdrawal
PALM BEACH, Fla. – Former President Donald Trump announced on Truthโ Social at 6:51 p.m.โ today thatโค Israel and Hamas have “signed offโ on โคthe first phase of our Peace Plan,” promising the imminentโ release of all hostages and an Israeli troop withdrawal “toโข an agreed upon โฃline.” The declaration followed โฃa day of unusualโข publicโฃ signaling during an event with โsocial mediaโฃ influencers, where Trump initially indicated a plannedโ tripโ to the Middle East “toward the end of the week,” potentially includingโ visits to Egypt โคand the Gaza Strip.
The agreement, facilitated with mediation fromโ Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey,โข marks a potential turning point in the ongoing conflict. Trump hailed it as “a GREATโข Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America,” and declared, “BLESSEDโฃ ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”โ The details of the “agreed โupon line” for Israeliโ withdrawal and the specifics of the hostage release were not immediately available.
The announcement unfolded amidst a somewhat chaotic scene at Trump’s mar-a-Lago resort. According to reports, Senator Marco Rubio passed Trump a note during theโค event, prompting initial discussion of a departure forโ the Middle East. Despite receiving the note, Trump continuedโฃ engaging with attendees and the media for nearly ten minutes, during which Secretary of State antony Blinken became visibly anxious.
Trump later stated, “I have to go now to try and solve some โคproblems in the Middle East – although I’m very well represented byโข our secretary of state.โค He could probably do an even better job than me, but who knows.” He initially suggested Attorneyโฃ General โคPam Bondi and Homeland โSecurity Secretary Kristi Noem remain to field questions, but ultimately โขcontinued to answer questions himself before the eventโค concluded.
The timing and manner of the announcement – via a socialโ media post rather than a formal statement -โฃ are notable. Trump’s involvement โin brokering the deal, and โthe speed with which it reportedly โคcame together, raises โquestions about theโ role of โthe current governance andโข the specifics of the agreement. The conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began after Hamas’s October 7th attack on Israel, has resulted โขin a significant humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ongoing regional โinstability. Thisโข potential agreement offersโฃ aโ glimmer of hope for de-escalation and the return of hostages, but its long-term success will โdepend on โthe full implementation of the plan andโ the commitment of all โฃparties involved.