Newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump revealed on Monday that he was "not sure" if the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, brokered between Israel and Hamas, would hold.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance listen to Christopher Macchio sing during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Reuters
Newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump revealed on Monday that he was "not sure" if the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, brokered between Israel and Hamas, would hold.
Speaking to a journalist while returning to the White House, the Republican president said, "I’m not confident."
“This is not our war; it’s their war. But I’m not confident,” Trump stated, though he acknowledged that Hamas appeared “weakened” since the war began following its unprecedented attack on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023.
Trump added, “I saw a picture of Gaza. Gaza looks like a demolition site.” He went on to suggest that the war-torn territory could see a “fantastic” reconstruction if the terms of the ceasefire were fully upheld.
The ceasefire, which came into effect Sunday morning, is currently in its first phase. This stage includes the exchange of 33 hostages abducted by Hamas for approximately 1,900 Palestinian detainees held by Israel. The agreement also stipulates that the Israeli military will withdraw from parts of the heavily damaged Gaza Strip.
The second phase aims to end the conflict definitively and secure the release of all hostages taken by Hamas on October 7. The third and final phase envisions the reconstruction of Gaza, contingent on the ceasefire’s successful implementation.
This multi-phase plan was initially drafted in May under former Democratic President Joe Biden and later finalized through joint diplomatic efforts by both Biden’s and Trump’s teams.
While presenting himself as a “peacemaker,” Trump emphasized his unwavering support for Israel.
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Israeli security forces backed by helicopters raided the volatile West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday, killing at least eight Palestinians in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a "large-scale and significant military operation".
Israel's army chief Herzi Halevi said on Tuesday he would resign on March 6, taking responsibility for the massive security lapse on Oct. 7, 2023 when Palestinian Hamas gunmen from Gaza carried out a cross-border attack on Israel.
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