PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST?

Today was a glorious day for the Middle East.  As Donald Trump stated, this might be the moment to bring true peace to the region in 3000 years.

• I asked Google AI, when did the Jews and their neighbors first have problems:

Conflict between Jews and other groups has a long and complex history, with roots in ancient, religious, and political tensions.  The first notable conflicts are recorded in the 6th century BCE, involving ancient empires like the Babylonians, though the nature of these conflicts has evolved significantly over time. 

• 3000 years is a period even longer that the 2600 years noted above.

In any case, what happened today is not quite peace, but more a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, compounded by the return of all 20 living hostages, providing a platform for truce in the Middle East, a situation almost unique in history.  Here is what the New York Times sent me this morning:

They’re free. Two years — 737 days, to be exact — after the Hamas terror attack that set off the war in Gaza, the last 20 living Israeli hostages left Gaza this morning. In exchange, nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are being let go; the first buses filled with them just started arriving in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

The releases are part of the first phase of a cease-fire deal that took hold Friday. A triumphant President Trump, the force behind the deal, flew in Air Force One over jubilant crowds in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square and timed the plane’s touchdown to coincide exactly with the first hostages’ arrival in Israel. 

“Israel has won all that can be won by force of arms,” said Trump. “Now, it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.”

The release came on a significant day for many Jews, during the harvest festival known as “the time of our rejoicing.” Sunset on Monday is the start of Simchat Torah, the holiday during which the Hamas attack occurred two years ago.

But key questions remain: Will Hamas actually disarm, as Trump’s deal demands? Who will pay to rebuild Gaza, and who will govern it? Will Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, be re-elected? What will become of the genocide charges against Israel at the International Criminal Court?

Who were freed? The 20 living hostages are all men, ages 21 to 48. Among those released today were 28-year-old twins who were abducted from a kibbutz, and the father of twin girls who were also abducted on Oct. 7 but returned in an earlier exchange. The remains of 26 others killed in captivity are expected to be returned soon. Read more about the hostages.

The Palestinian prisoners: Israel has promised to released 250 prisoners, most of whom are serving life sentences for killing Israelis and are expected to be deported. One such prisoner’s father, Fuad Kamamji, told The Times he was feeling “a strong sense of relief and peace.” The deal also calls for the release of 1,700 people detained as part of the war in Gaza.

The toll of the war: Gaza health officials estimate 67,000 Palestinians were killed in the past two years, a figure Israelis have not disputed. Virtually all of Gaza’s two million residents have been displaced, many multiple times, and are living in tents. Many have faced starvation. In Israel, 1,200 people were killed and 250 abducted in the initial attack on Oct. 7, 2023. About 1,000 Israeli soldiers have died in the fighting since.

The most important gathering was the Peace Summit in Egypt.  Their president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, sent out the invitations.  Here is the list of participants.  He did not invite the Hamas, but asked Iran, which refused.  Maybe Netanyahu was also not on the list, but his excuse was that this was a Jewish holiday that prevented him from flying.

I asked Google AI to provide details about the Gaza Peace Summit:

At the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on October 13, 2025, former President Donald Trump and leaders from key mediating countries signed a document formalizing the ceasefire and initiating the first phase of a peace plan between Israel and Hamas. The core of the document, based on a 20-point U.S.-brokered plan, covers a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and a staged approach to reconstruction and demilitarization. 

Key provisions and context

• Formal ceasefire agreement: The document signed by Trump, along with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, codified the agreement that ended the two-year war in Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023.
• Hostage and prisoner exchange: The agreement formalized the exchange of remaining hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Just hours before the signing, Hamas released all 20 remaining living Israeli hostages. In exchange, Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
• Humanitarian aid: The document initiated the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, a process that began after the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, 2025.
• Staged reconstruction: The signed agreement marked the beginning of a phased plan for the reconstruction of Gaza. While Trump stated that rebuilding would be the "easiest part," the total cost is estimated to be more than $53 billion (€46 billion). Egypt will host a separate conference in the future to manage the reconstruction effort.
• Demilitarization and withdrawal: The deal outlined a process for the demilitarization of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, though some details for later phases were not fully specified at the time of signing.
• Guaranteeing countries: The signing nations—the U.S., Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey—are formal guarantors responsible for monitoring the implementation of the agreement.
• Absence of key parties: Representatives for Israel and Hamas did not attend the signing ceremony in person, although both sides had approved the first phase of the deal days earlier. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was notably absent.
• "Rules and regulations": While the full text of the document was not immediately released to the public, Trump described it as "very comprehensive" and containing the "rules and regulations" for the path forward. He expressed confidence that the agreement would hold. 

So what is the reality?

• Trump's peace strategy is non-traditional.
• First, he scared the Hamas to return all the live hostages by a deadline, or face annihilation.
• Usually, a signed peace treaty has all the details provided.
• What was signed in Egypt was said by a reporter to be like trying to fly a plane you are still building.
• A Board of Peace is being formed, with Trump as chair.
• Other members, all at least former heads of state, such as Tony Blair of the UK, and current Egyptian president, are being added.
• Their combined staffs will draw together the actual peace plan.
• Hamas and other militant factions will have no role in Gaza's governance, with some members to be afforded amnesty or safe passage abroad.
• This board is only transitional, and will pass on leadership to the Palestinian Authority when proper controls are secured.
• 
  The only reality is that there is hope, something, actually, new.
• The Hamas will need to be controlled by the key Middle East countries.  This seems possible.
• Israel will require the heavy hand of the USA.  The U.S. does annually provide $3.8 billion in military aid.
• Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Indonesia and Pakistan have expressed support for the peace plan.

• 
  An unexpected contribution at the summit came from the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, who first indicated that the country had earlier advanced Trump's name to the Nobel committee for solving their nuclear war problem with India, but went on to again add what he has accomplished in Gaza to spur them to re-try for next year.
• There needs to be an early formation of a peacekeeping group for the Gaza Strip.
• At this time, no American troops are planned to be included.
• But Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, UAE and Jordan will.
• Perhaps some input from Europe.
• There will need to be an International Stabilization Force to train Palestinian police, and the U.S. could be helpful here, with mostly Arab input.

Today, all sounds fine with that element of hope.  Tomorrow?

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