By Brodie Erk

On Thursday, October 9th 2025, Israel announced that it would agree to a ceasefire deal ending the war in Gaza after 2 years of bloody conflict. Although the details of the agreement have yet to be made public, it is based on a 20 point peace plan designed in part by President Trump to create a “strong, durable, and everlasting peace”. The main points of the deal include the mutual release of captives (both dead and alive), the demilitarization of Gazan territory, and a global effort to aid Gaza as it rebuilds. 

So far both Israel, and its enemy, the terrorist group Hamas have agreed to a cease fire, and have begun returning hostages. The peace is fragile however; two ceasefires have already fallen through since the beginning of the war, and Hamas has yet to commit to a comprehensive peace treaty, as signing off on it would mean the loss of both their weapons and control of the Gaza strip. Additionally, tension has grown over Hamas’s failure to return all of the bodies of deceased hostages, many of which they claim have been buried in the rubble of destroyed cities. For this, Israel has accused them of violating the peace deal in its early stages, and briefly placed limits on the aid allowed for Gaza in retaliation, but does not seem bent on military action. 

Despite the possibility of a resurgence in the conflict, Trump has remained adamant that the war is well and truly over, and that to begin it anew would be a mistake. As he said to Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, “Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms. You’ve won. I mean, you’ve won…Now it’s time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.” His critics, including writers from the Guardian and CNN have portrayed this as an arrogant sentiment, born out of a desire to be seen as a man of peace and a dealmaker, but on the other side of the aisle, the idea of rewarding him for his efforts with a Nobel Peace Prize is gaining popularity.

Ultimately, the situation in the Middle East is still uncertain and evolving. Perhaps the best encapsulation of the war in Gaza, and Trump’s handling of it comes from a headline from the New York Times, which highlights complexity of the path ahead, and the potential for growth. “Give Trump the Nobel for Gaza, if He Does the Harder Parts to Come – The New York Times”

Sources: 

Israel limits aid into Gaza in dispute over hostage remains as ceasefire faces test.

How Trump willed ‘phase one’ of a Gaza deal across the finish line | CNN Politics

The Gaza Ceasefire Could Become Just an Interlude Before Violence Reignites | RAND