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.
Israel announced a major expansion of military operations in Gaza on Wednesday, saying large areas of the enclave would be seized and added to its security zones, accompanied by large-scale evacuation of population.
Israel announced overnight that it had killed Hassan Bdeir, a senior Hezbollah figure, in an airstrike targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The White House has said that U.S. strikes in Yemen earlier this month killed the Houthi top missile expert, but the U.S. military has so far declined to confirm the death, and the identity of the Houthi commander in question is unclear.
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