--- title: What Trump Does—and Doesn't—Get Credit for in Gaza description: President Donald Trump helped secure a ceasefire in Gaza. Now, he must see this fragile peace through to something more durable. canonical: https://time.com/7325406/trump-credit-for-gaza/ author: Bobby Ghosh article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-10-14T10:15:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T08:12:03.146Z article:section: Ideas og:title: What Trump Does—and Doesn't—Get Credit for in Gaza og:description: President Donald Trump helped secure a ceasefire in Gaza. Now, he must see this fragile peace through to something more durable. og:url: https://time.com/7325406/trump-credit-for-gaza/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaae639612739db19/6998caba1500fb71f2aa6af9/GettyImages-2240439832.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: President Trump Visits Israel And Egypt After Gaza Ceasefire Takes Effect og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What Trump Does—and Doesn't—Get Credit for in Gaza twitter:description: President Donald Trump helped secure a ceasefire in Gaza. Now, he must see this fragile peace through to something more durable. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaae639612739db19/6998caba1500fb71f2aa6af9/GettyImages-2240439832.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  IDEAS Time ideas # What Trump Does—and Doesn't—Get Credit for in Gaza > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. 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Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=bf19ae0c-8e8a-4a37-b6ee-17d9e1a74b40&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Trump and World Leaders Sign ‘Enduring Peace’ Pact Aimed at Ending Gaza War [Watch (HLS stream): Trump and World Leaders Sign ‘Enduring Peace’ Pact Aimed at Ending Gaza War](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/KCDy1YKf.m3u8) (5:29)  _Published 2025-10-14. On Monday, President Donald Trump proclaimed the “historic dawn” of a new Middle East while addressing the Knesset in Israel. Since Trump announced a ceasefire in Gaza last week, Israel’s relentless bombing and destruction of Gaza has stalled, Hamas has released Israeli hostages, desperately needed food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid has started flowing into Gaza, and around 2,000 Palestinians held by Israel have been released._ by [Bobby Ghosh](https://time.com/author/bobby-ghosh/) ## Bobby Ghosh Ghosh, a former TIME foreign correspondent and International Editor, is a commentator on geopolitics. Oct 14, 2025 10:15 AM UTC On Monday, President Donald Trump proclaimed the “historic dawn” of a new Middle East while addressing the Knesset in Israel. Since Trump announced a ceasefire in Gaza last week, Israel’s relentless bombing and destruction of Gaza has stalled, Hamas has released Israeli hostages, desperately needed food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid has started flowing into Gaza, and around 2,000 Palestinians held by Israel have been released. by [Bobby Ghosh](https://time.com/author/bobby-ghosh/) ## Bobby Ghosh Ghosh, a former TIME foreign correspondent and International Editor, is a commentator on geopolitics. Oct 14, 2025 10:15 AM UTC It isn't easy to praise someone who habitually, preemptively, and lavishly praises himself. But there is no gainsaying the fact that President Donald Trump—and President Donald Trump alone—deserves credit for the scenes of joy and relief we've seen in Israel and Gaza, respectively, over the past four days. Had it been left to the druthers of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leadership of Hamas, there is every likelihood that the devastation of Gaza would have continued into a third year. It is also certain that more of the Israeli hostages would have died in their miserable confinement, whether murdered by their terrorist captors or accidentally killed by the munitions of their own country. Instead, the guns in Gaza have quieted. And it isn't because of the nudgings of real estate developers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the promptings of Qatar and Egypt, the pleadings of Europe, the finger-wagging of human-rights organizations, or the hand-wringing of the United Nations alone. The ceasefire is [the gift](https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/11/world/netanyahu-trump-ceasefire-analysis-intl) of Donald Trump. ### A delayed gift Now for the caveats. As gifts go, this one comes much belated—and with a high risk of disintegrating even as it is being unwrapped. Trump could have brought us to this place much sooner if he had been quicker to apply the pressure that finally forced Netanyahu to accept the peace deal. If the president had not wasted time floating perverse ideas about real-estate opportunities in Gaza, thousands of Palestinian lives might have been saved, and more of the Israeli hostages would be in the bosom of their families. (These numbers would have been higher still if President Joe Biden had not restricted himself to pious posturing.) What finally snapped Trump into action was Netanyahu's decision to bomb Qatar in a failed attempt to eliminate Hamas's exiled political leadership in Doha. This was an attack on a key U.S. ally, one that hosts 10,000 American troops at a strategic air base and has committed to hundreds of [billions of dollars](https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-secures-historic-1-2-trillion-economic-commitment-in-qatar/) in investments in the U.S.—and moreover, one that has promised Trump an upgraded Air Force One**.** Trump's current peace deal is mercifully free of any references to a “Gaza Riviera.” It does not require Palestinians to leave the enclave. Now that the hostages have been released and Israel has agreed to free nearly 2.000 Palestinians, Gazans can receive life-saving aid.  Families and friends of Gaza hostage Elkana Bohbot react as they watch the hostage release live stream from the home of Bohbot's mother on October 13, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Amir Levy/Getty Images Getty Images—2025 Getty Images ### The long road ahead So far, so good. But [Trump’s 20-point plan is too vague](https://time.com/7325340/challenges-trumps-gaza-peace-plan/) on crucial details of what comes next. The nature, composition, and responsibilities of the international stabilization force mentioned in the plan has not been fleshed out. While 200 U.S. soldiers and officers will monitor the ceasefire as part of an[ international task force](https://www.ft.com/content/542b6c82-9499-4b0e-b7cb-ee2aee6fef44), they won't be on the ground in Gaza. Nor yet have Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the U.A.E. committed their contingents. The plan foresees the gradual development and deployment of a freshly trained police and security force, but building up such a force takes months or years. Who will provide security in the meantime? The governance arrangements are equally murky. Trump's proposal calls for a "technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee" to run day-to-day affairs in Gaza, overseen by a "Board of Peace" chaired by Trump himself and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair—a controversial choice [already rejected](https://news.sky.com/story/hamas-official-thanks-donald-trump-for-peace-deal-but-warns-tony-blair-not-welcome-13448166) by Hamas. But it's unclear who will select this committee, what authority it will have, or how it will function if Hamas remains a force in Gaza**.** There are no clear penalties defined for any side breaching the peace. Given the previous behavior of Netanyahu and the Hamas leadership, there is every chance that violence might erupt again. Israel broke the previous ceasefire in March. There are already [reports](https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/12/middleeast/gaza-hamas-security-war-intl) Hamas is reasserting control over Gaza, battling rival factions to consolidate power. Basim Naim, the Hamas leader, has said they won’t [lay down ](https://news.sky.com/story/my-glimpse-behind-the-curtain-into-the-unpredictable-and-frankly-unbelievable-world-of-global-politics-right-now-13448736)their arms until a comprehensive agreement is reached. If Hamas doesn't disarm—or Israel resumes its bombings of Gaza—the entire peace plan risks unraveling.  Citizens and relatives of Palestinian prisoners wait at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, Gaza on October 13, 2025, to welcome Palestinians prisoners being released from Israeli jails after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Doaa Albaz—Anadolu/Getty Images Anadolu via Getty Images—2025 Anadolu The absence of monitoring and enforcement mechanisms contributed to the [failure of the 1993 Oslo Accords](https://time.com/archive/6928051/ten-reasons-why-the-peace-process-is-all-but-dead/) to deliver comprehensive peace. Trump has provided personal guarantees he wouldn't let Israel abandon the deal and resume the war—a key factor in convincing Hamas to accept the peace plan—but what happens if Trump loses interest or becomes distracted by other crises? Trump’s plan offers no answer. Nor is it clear who will rebuild Gaza, and who will pay for it. The White House has clarified that the U.S. will not pay for reconstruction. Egypt's $53 billion reconstruction plan lacks specific details on funding sources. The Saudis and other Arab countries will be reluctant to contribute to a rebuilding effort absent an Israeli commitment to recognize a Palestinian state. Trump's plan mentions only vague language about a "credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination" and “statehood”—far weaker than the explicit two-state solution demanded by Arab nations. In the absence of all these things, the deal depends almost entirely on Trump maintaining pressure on the principals. In turn, this requires him to remain closely engaged, week after week and month after month, with a broad spectrum of actors—not just individual power brokers. Focus, stamina, and coalition-building are not the president's strongest suits. Trump thrives on dramatic breakthroughs, headline-grabbing announcements, and one-on-one negotiations. But the patient, grinding work of peace implementation typically bores him. He will need to conjure up previously unseen qualities of concentration and stamina to see this fragile peace through to something more durable. So, for now, let's hear one cheer for Donald Trump. And let's hope he earns three. [TIME Ideas](https://www.time.com/ideas) hosts the world's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. We welcome outside contributions. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors. ## Transcript [00:00] This is not only the end of a war. [00:03] This is the end of an age of terror and death and [00:06] the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God. [00:11] It's the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel and [00:17] all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region. [00:23] I believe that so strongly. [00:25] This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East. [00:30] I want to express my gratitude to a man of exceptional courage and patriotism, [00:35] whose partnership did so much to make this momentous day possible. [00:41] You know who I'm talking about. [00:43] There's only one prime minister, [00:45] Benjamin Netanyahu. Please stand up. [01:01] And he is not easy. [01:04] I want to tell you that he's not the easiest guy to deal with, [01:08] but that's what makes him great. [01:11] That's what makes him great. [01:19] Thank you very much, Bebe. Great job. [01:24] The momentous breakthrough that we're here to celebrate [01:28] tonight is more than the end of the war in Gaza. [01:31] It's with God's help. [01:32] It will be the new beginning for an entire beautiful Middle East. [01:37] From this moment forward, [01:39] we can build a region that's strong and stable and prosperous and [01:42] united in rejecting the path of terror once and for all. [01:47] We want to get rid of the terror and get on to other things. [01:50] There are many other things in life. They're so good. [01:53] The final sprint to this deal began less than three weeks ago, [01:57] on the sidelines of the United Nations in New York. [02:00] I met with many of the people in this room and it all just started coming together. [02:05] I've known so many of you for so long. [02:07] Your friends of mine, your great people. [02:09] I have a couple I don't like in particular, [02:11] but I won't tell you who. [02:13] We listened and we exchanged ideas, [02:15] and we kept pushing forward until the job was done. [02:18] And the first steps to peace are always the hardest. [02:21] And today we've taken them and we've put them all together, [02:24] and we've come up with this beautiful mix like nobody thought was possible. [02:28] And as you know, I've just come from Israel. [02:31] It was an amazing day to watch the hostages come in and [02:35] to watch all of the other things and do all of the other things that we did. [02:39] And like all of us here this evening, [02:42] the Israeli people are overjoyed that the war has ended. [02:45] Many of you have had dancing in the streets. [02:47] They had dancing in the streets. [02:49] All the momentum now is toward a great, [02:51] glorious and lasting peace and our commitment to fulfilling the 20 point plan [02:56] we developed together will be the crucial foundation for achieving that bright future. [03:02] And it's being worked on right now as we speak, [03:04] and we're actually in stage three and four. [03:07] It's not going to be, you know, just divided down. [03:09] So simply we can be long advanced on some of the things that we say we're going to do. [03:14] We're going to do something that's really monumental. [03:17] This is a monumental day. [03:18] This is a monumental moment in the history of the world beyond the Middle East. [03:23] We've all agreed that supporting Gaza must be done to lift up the people themselves, [03:30] but we don't want to fund anything having to do with the bloodshed, [03:34] hatred or terror, as has happened in the past. [03:38] And for the same reason. [03:40] We're also agreed that Gaza's reconstruction requires that it be demilitarized, [03:46] and that a new, [03:47] honest civilian police force must be allowed to create [03:50] a safe condition for the people in Gaza. [03:53] As I said earlier, [03:55] I intend to be a partner in securing a better future. [03:58] We're going to be working. [04:00] You're going to be working with the United States, [04:02] and we're going to make sure that the Middle East is going to be a safe and secure place. [04:07] It's a very important place in the world. [04:09] Okay. Thank you very much. So this was really a historic day, to put it mildly. [04:15] Right. Wasn't it amazing, [04:17] even that last meeting, [04:19] when you see the heads of those countries, [04:20] those those are serious countries, right? [04:24] Uh, but it was. [04:25] I thought it was fantastic. [04:27] I thought, and seeing the, [04:29] I mean, the so-called hostages. [04:31] But those kids come back home. [04:32] And the way their parents just went just went crazy. [04:36] Your father would not be that way with you. [04:38] He'd be okay. But he wouldn't be like that. [04:41] I would get a hug, a hug. [04:43] A minor hug. Okay. Come on, Peter, let's go. [04:46] No, he would be. I'm only kidding. [04:48] He said if you did Russia or if you did, [04:51] you know, lots of different combinations. [04:53] They say the Middle East blows it away. [04:55] And I said, well, by experts, [04:57] it's just thousands of years. [04:59] Nothing's been done. [05:00] It's a whole thing with the Arabs, [05:03] Jewish people, this, that, everybody. [05:05] It's just it's just never been done before. [05:08] And there's a certain mystery to the Middle East. [05:12] I mean, look, it's only because of ratings, [05:14] you know, you're only as good as the ratings, right? [05:16] If they weren't getting ratings, [05:17] your people at Fox would. [05:18] And by the way, Trey is excellent. [05:21] He does a really good job. He and his whole team. [05:24] We did a very quick interview. [05:25] I was running to the second one where we were pretty late. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7325406/trump-credit-for-gaza/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7325406/trump-credit-for-gaza/"},"headline":"What Trump Does—and Doesn't—Get Credit for in Gaza","datePublished":"2025-10-14T10:15:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-19T08:12:03.146Z","description":"President Donald Trump helped secure a ceasefire in Gaza. 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