Spectator Daily ​ - THE ART OF THE GAZA PEACE DEAL - October 9, 2025

 

THE ART OF THE GAZA PEACE DEAL While you were sleeping, Donald Trump declared that Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of his 20-point peace deal. It paves the way for a ceasefire, the release of all remaining Israeli hostages and the entry of aid into Gaza. Details of the deal, including the finalised list of prisoners Hamas wants freed as part of an exchange, remain unclear. But the first part of the deal could be set in motion as soon as today once the Israeli government approves the plan at around 2 p.m. local time. During an extraordinary round table on the Antifa organisation last night, the US President was interrupted by Marco Rubio and given a hand-written message. He told those assembled at the White House: ‘I was just given a note by the Secretary of State saying that we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East, and they’ll need me pretty quickly.’ You can watch the moment here.

Getty ‘Sir, there’s still no word on the Nobel peace prize.’

Minutes later, Trump broke the news in his own inimitable fashion. ‘I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of our peace plan,’ he posted on his Truth Social platform. ‘This means that ALL of the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a strong, durable, and everlasting peace. All parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT day for the Arab and Muslim world, Israel, all surrounding nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this historic and unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!’ Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the news as ‘a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the state of Israel’. The Israeli Prime Minister thanked his ‘great friend and ally’ President Trump and vowed: ‘We will not rest until all our hostages return and all our goals are achieved.’ Hamas also confirmed it had entered the agreement ‘with the aim of reaching an end to the war of extermination against our Palestinian people’. The deal is the most significant step yet towards ending the conflict, which entered its second year on Tuesday. But eyes will turn now to the Israeli government as it approves the deal – particularly the hardline members of Netanyahu’s cabinet who’ve previously opposed the plan. Could that criticism endanger the deal?