News & Highlights, Politics

Israel and Hamas have moved toward a deal

It looks like Israel and Hamas have moved toward a deal — at least a “first phase” ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange — and Arab states like Turkey, Egypt, and others appear to have wielded real influence over Hamas. Meanwhile, Trump is busy trying to grab all the credit — even pushing for a peace prize.

 What’s going on

  • According to multiple reports, Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a U.S.-brokered peace plan, including a ceasefire, the release of some hostages, and Israeli troop withdrawals to agreed lines.

  • Turkey has expressed satisfaction with the deal and said it will closely monitor implementation. 

  • Arab states — notably Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar — appear to have been deeply involved in pushing Hamas to accept terms. Ankara, in particular, is leveraging its longtime ties to the group to help nudge its leadership.

  • In fact, reports say that Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey have been pressing Hamas negotiators directly in recent days to take the U.S. proposal seriously.

So the narrative that “Trump made peace by himself” is far from the whole story.

 The Trump angle: credit-seeking and the peace prize push

Trump immediately hailed the agreement as evidence of his unique ability to engineer peace, announcing it on social media and asserting that both sides “signed off” under his leadership.
He’s even floated nominations or talk of a Nobel Peace Prize — positioning himself as the indispensable mediator in the Middle East.

But that narrative glosses over how much Arab diplomacy — and pressure internally on Hamas — likely contributed to bringing the group to the negotiating table.

 What to watch

  • Will the ceasefire hold beyond Phase 1? There are still huge open questions about demilitarization, governance in Gaza, and the role of Hamas going forward.

  • How much real leverage did Arab states have over Hamas? Did they push too hard, or in balance?

  • How much will this deal survive once the spotlight moves on and the hard politics resume?

  • And finally: Who really deserves the credit — diplomacy or theatrical self-promotion?