The emerging agreement mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump and his close circle—Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and former senior adviser—signals a remarkable demonstration of strategic leverage.
Through deft diplomacy, the Trump team has drawn in key Arab states, including Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, aligning their national interests with Washington’s broader vision of regional stabilization. Each of these states—bound by deep economic and military ties to the United States—ultimately used its influence to apply sustained pressure on Hamas. It represents an achievement that has broken the terror group’s core source of bargaining power: the hostages.
The first victory is Israel’s. After nearly two years of conflict and hostage negotiations, Hamas’s central tool of extortion—its control over hostages, both living and deceased—has been effectively neutralized. Israel’s military and intelligence superiority, demonstrated through precision strikes and relentless pursuit, has reshaped the calculus of deterrence in the region.
Arab capitals now understand that Israel possesses not only the technological and human capabilities to defend itself, but also the strategic will to eliminate its enemies anywhere, at any time. That realization was most deeply felt in Doha, where Qatar—once the principal patron and mouthpiece of Hamas—recognized its vulnerability. Under immense American pressure, a symbolic apology was all that was needed for Qatar to return to the negotiating table.
The second victory belongs to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his strategic partner, Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer. If the hostages indeed return as scheduled, it will mark the fulfillment of Israel’s five unwavering conditions for ending the war.
That correlates into the demilitarization of Gaza; a continued presence on the ground by the Israel Defense Forces; a guaranteed security perimeter around the Strip; the full disarmament of Hamas; and a governing authority in the coastal enclave that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority, but instead managed under the supervision of a Trump-led international committee.
This agreement represents a strategic turning point, though not an absolute victory. Israel has learned through decades of experience—and the Oslo Accords stand as proof—that neither Hamas nor the PLO has ever honored written agreements beyond their immediate interests. Hamas may still attempt last-minute evasions, such as claiming ignorance of the location of all the fallen or attempting to delay final compliance.
For this reason, Israel must remain vigilant, skeptical and fully prepared to resume operations at any moment. The IDF’s operational posture will likely remain at medium to high intensity for the foreseeable future, preserving the deterrence that was so hard-won over 734 days of conflict.
Still, the broader diplomatic implications are significant. This deal marks the first time in decades that key Arab nations have acted not as spoilers but as enforcers of regional stability. It is a shift born of necessity and mutual interest—a recognition that the Iranian-led “axis of resistance” threatens Sunni regimes as much as it threatens Israel.
Trump’s ability to leverage American influence while providing strategic guarantees to Arab capitals has restored a sense of balance in the Middle East. For Netanyahu, it has vindicated his long-standing argument that peace with the Arab world need not depend on Palestinian statehood, but on shared interests and common threats.
As the next 72 hours unfold, the world will watch to see if Hamas keeps its commitments. If it does, Israel will mark a turning point—transforming two years of suffering into a moment of moral and strategic triumph.
The courage and persistence of Israel’s leadership, particularly Netanyahu and Dermer, alongside Trump’s decisive mediation, have produced an outcome that few believed possible. Yet the path ahead remains steep. From here, only continued resolve—on the battlefield, at the negotiating table and within Israel’s own national unity—can secure what may finally become total victory.
