Israel – Hamas: Finally, Peace in the Middle East?

Under a blinding sun and carefully orchestrated applause, US President Donald Trump proclaimed, on Monday, October 13, a 'great day for the Middle East'. Trump, back at the heart of regional diplomacy, co-signed a declaration intended to guarantee an end to the war in Gaza, after two years of deadly clashes between Israel and Hamas.

Hours earlier, in Jerusalem, before the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, he had already set the stage for a historic victory: 'This is not just the end of a war, it is the end of an era of terror and death,' he hammered. For the former real estate mogul turned president, this ceasefire marks 'the beginning of a golden age for Israel and the Middle East'.

On the fourth day of a fragile truce, Hamas released the last twenty hostages still alive, captured during the attack of October 7, 2023. In exchange, Israel released 1,968 Palestinian prisoners. A scene of contrasts then unfolded between Tel Aviv and Ramallah: in Israeli streets, weeping families reunited with their loved ones, while in the West Bank, jubilant crowds welcomed buses of released prisoners, holding Palestinian flags and victory slogans.

'It's wonderful and overwhelming that this is finally happening,' whispers Shelly Bar Nir, 34, in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where faces oscillate between relief and disbelief. In Ramallah, Mahdi Ramadan, freshly released, speaks of 'a rebirth'. These emotionally charged words better than anything summarize the feeling of a people exhausted by decades of suffering.

Always a master of staging, Donald Trump savored his diplomatic victory. At the Knesset, the US president was greeted by red 'Trump, the President of Peace' caps and given a standing ovation by the room. The showman promised a 'new beginning' for the region, while slipping in some unusual phrases: a call for peace with Iran and even a suggestion of a pardon for Benjamin Netanyahu, who is being prosecuted for corruption.

'Mr. President [Herzog], why not grant him a pardon?' he said with a smile, triggering a thunder of applause. In another era, such a call could have caused a diplomatic scandal; today, it fits into the logic of a Trump confident in his triumph, determined to establish himself as the architect of peace.

Hours later, under the dome of the Sharm el-Sheikh conference center, the flags of 31 countries flew above a huge slogan: 'PEACE 2025'. Alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi, Donald Trump welcomed the leaders of Qatar, Turkey, and other states involved in the mediation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were present.

The 'Sharm el-Sheikh declaration' promises to consolidate the ceasefire and pave the way for a reconstruction plan for Gaza. 'This will hold,' Trump repeated, thumb raised, like a campaign slogan. But no concrete details emerged regarding the guarantees or the timeline for Hamas's disarmament.