Description: US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel shortly after the hostage and prisoner exchanges were completed between Israel and Hamas and addressed the Israeli Knesset. His remarks resonated more with Israel’s future goals and were aimed to mark a diplomatic victory lap for the US in the region. After the Israel visit, Trump headed to Egypt to participate in the summit comprised of more than 27 regional and international leaders where the future of Gaza would be discussed. In Egypt, leaders are expected to discuss in detail the implementation of the other stages of Trump’s 20-point peace plan and dismantle the potential sticking points which could jeopardize the longevity of the peace plan. The initial trucks of aid were crossing through the Rafah border passing as both Israelis and Palestinians enthusiastically welcomed captives on both sides.
Impact: Trump’s remarks in the Knesset emphasized the upcoming issues in his peace plan as the US President continued to bask in diplomatic glory. His subsequent trip to Egypt and the upcoming discussions with world leaders would set the baseline for resolving major conflicting points of the peace agreement such as the disarmament and disbandment of Hamas and the political reformation of the Palestinian Authority which is expected to become the governing force in Gaza and the West Bank. Netanyahu’s absence from the meeting and the vagueness of Trump’s statements indicated that currently there is no concise diplomatic strategy to push forward the integration of the peace plan, bar from the humanitarian aid and plans to infrastructurally reconstruct the Gaza Strip. Hamas’ public executions in Gaza City and the calls for mobilization of more than 7 thousand fighters signal the group would be difficult to persuade towards disarmament, let alone to cede control of Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic government. As things presently stand, Gaza is ensured to be reconstructed and initially governed by an international transitional committee, awaiting the outcome of the upcoming discussions in Egypt. Beyond the public portrayal of immense success, regarding the Gaza peace deal, major difficulties lie ahead which represent considerable threats and risk compromising the entire peace initiative.