The guns fell silent. The media was euphoric. The optics were excellent. Donald Trump had achieved what Joe Biden couldn’t after the Hamas carnage and Israel’s devastating retaliation on October 7, 2023.
On the eve of Trump’s second inauguration, Hamas handed three Israeli women hostages to the Red Cross after holding them captive for 471 days.
The hostages were released under phase one of an elusive three-phased ceasefire of 42 days each brokered by Qatar and Egypt but led by Team Trump. Hamas released 25 living Israeli hostages and the bodies of 8 dead ones. Israel freed around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners in return. Displaced Palestinians returned to their homes in north Gaza. Hundreds of aid trucks were allowed into the enclave daily.
Most importantly, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) pulled out of the enclave’s populated areas and the Netzarim Corridor—a military zone that divided north and south Gaza—and only remained in the border areas, including the southern Philadelphi Corridor.
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/israels-renewed-assault-gaza-ceasefire-phase-2-was-never-trump-netanyahu-priority-13875978.html.
