The deal between Hamas and Israel is off to a good start.
Trump Arrives in Egypt for Peace Summit After Hostage-Prisoner Swap
The Wall Street Journal reports Trump Arrives in Egypt for Peace Summit After Hostage-Prisoner Swap
President Trump addressed the Israeli Parliament after all 20 remaining hostages alive in Gaza returned to Israel, closing a chapter in the two-year war.
“We gather on a day of profound joy, of soaring hope,” he said, later adding that international pressure had played a part in bringing about the cease-fire.
Trump later flew to Egypt for a summit with leaders from the Middle East and Europe to push forward his broader proposal to end the war and rebuild the Gaza Strip. Israel and Hamas are expected to begin negotiating a peace deal that would see the U.S.-designated terrorist group disarm and give up power in Gaza.
Israelis gathered, sang and celebrated as the captives were returned.
Hostages were taken to a reception point in Israel to be reunited with their families and undergo examinations. The bodies of around 28 hostages who have died are to be handed over later.
Israel has released the nearly 2,000 Palestinians it had agreed to free under the term of the deal.
Many details still need to be resolved in a subsequent phase of the pact, including how Gaza will be governed.
Trump called for Israel’s president to pardon Netanyahu.
President Trump says the second phase of the peace plan, which calls for the disarmament of Hamas and the formation of an interim government to oversee Gaza, has begun.
“The phases are all a little bit mixed in with each other,” Trump said, sitting next to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. “You look at Gaza, it needs a lot of clean up.”
The second part of the 20-point peace agreement is likely to be much more complex to implement because it calls for Hamas to disarm, which the militant group has resisted in the past. It is also unclear how exactly Gaza will be governed, and who will be a part of that task.
The implementation of phase one has taken place without significant interruption so far, with Hamas releasing the remaining living Israeli hostages, Israel withdrawing from parts of Gaza and releasing hundreds of Palestinians in its custody, and the two sides halting fire. The bodies of dead hostages are still to be returned to Israel.
Well Done Mr. President
The only part of the deal I disagree with is US putting troops in Israel.
For discussion, please see The Gaza Cease-Fire Is Great, US Troop Involvement Isn’t
Also see Praise to Trump for Brokering a Gaza Hostage Deal to End the War
Lots of Issues remain and success is not assured. Click above for Trump’s 20-Point Plan and additional comments.
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