Trump’s gambit: Cautious optimism marks Israel-Hamas truce

US President Donald Trump has announced, with his trademark air of finality, that the Gaza war is over. West Asia and the world at large may not agree with him completely, but there is no doubt that his intervention has made the guns fall silent — at least for the time being. Trump arrived to a hero’s welcome in Israel on Monday, even as Hamas released the last 20 surviving Israeli hostages under the US-brokered ceasefire deal. However, the Israel-Hamas truce remains fragile, and it will face an acid test in the days and weeks to come. Much will depend on efforts by key stakeholders to ensure durable peace in the strife-torn region. Another Herculean challenge is to rebuild Gaza, which has been reduced to a sea of rubble by the two-year-old war that has rendered the majority of its 2.2 million people homeless and hungry.

It is vital for both sides to fully implement the first phase of the agreement, which involves the release of hostages/prisoners; a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza; and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from its main cities. Once all this is done, talks over the second phase can begin. That’s the harder part — there are ticklish points such as how the densely populated territory will be governed once fighting ends for good and whether Hamas will be defanged permanently. As he entered the Knesset (Israeli parliament) amid blaring trumpets and a thunderous applause, Trump said Hamas would comply with a provision under his plan to disarm. The militant group, however, has ruled out this possibility before Palestine achieves statehood.

Trump is set to head an international body that will oversee the working of a ‘temporary apolitical committee’ to be entrusted with Gaza’s governance. This politically emotive issue needs deft handling. What sticks out like a sore thumb is the absence of a clear timeline for a two-state solution. The US President can afford to pat himself on the back today, but he might realise tomorrow that he has bitten off more than he can chew.