By Azu Ishiekwene
The writer is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP and the author of the new book Writing for Media and Monetising It.
ABUJA, Nigeria | 16 October 2025 (IDN) — U.S. President Donald Trump may be getting ahead of himself with the encouraging signs that, following the ceasefire in Gaza, the world might have another opportunity to end the Middle East crisis—one of the world’s longest-running conflicts.
It was a conflict in which Trump took sides with Israel—vetoing resolutions at the UN, supporting Israeli attacks on sovereign states including Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, and Syria, and feigning ignorance of the attack on Qatar. It seemed no price was too high to “cleanse” Gaza and relocate Gazans from their homeland to create a nice piece of real estate—a Mediterranean Mar-a-Lago, perhaps.
Trump’s rhetoric emboldened Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to unleash the Israeli Defence Forces on Gaza and carpet-bomb the city. The world waited to see American oil companies move in to complete the conquest.
Making a Deal
In a stark about-face, it was Trump again pulling all belligerents by the scruff of their necks and shoving them to the negotiating table. It’s rare in peace negotiations for one side to be literally given an ultimatum to sign a deal—but that’s precisely what happened. Trump all but put a gun to Hamas’s head. And unlike before, Hamas complied.
It is also to Trump’s credit that Hamas didn’t protest about getting the short end of the stick. They didn’t argue about a deal brokered without them but signed anyway. And for a while, the mushroom clouds may cease.
Trump hasn’t been to Gaza, but he was feted on the red carpet—receiving one of the warmest receptions ever for a foreign head of state at the Knesset. Netanyahu flattered him as “the best friend Israel ever had in the White House.” It was no empty boast. In 2018, Trump ordered the U.S. embassy’s relocation from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a city claimed by both Israel and Palestine as their capital.
Trump Rules…
After his rapturous welcome in Israel, Trump flew to Egypt, where he stood like a head boy on stage, backslapping world leaders and basking in the glow of the moment. In Sharm el-Sheikh, he was in a classic Trumpoverse—wearing America’s power on his sleeve and reminding the world that “all he has done his entire life has been deals.”
Cost of War
It was one war too long, beginning on October 7, 2023, and spanning more than two years. The peace treaty took even longer, cost too many lives, and caused too much destruction to achieve. The Gaza war is now the most prolonged Israeli military conflict on record.
It nearly took a worse turn when Iranian reprisals punctured the “Iron Dome,” forcing Israelis to experience the terror of war at home.
With an estimated 67,000 Palestinians killed and 1.7 million displaced, relief and food aid remain urgent priorities. A complex hostage–prisoner exchange became central to the ceasefire agreement.
For all the world to see, the hostages on both sides revealed our shared humanity—the truth that life, whether friend or foe, is a precious gift. It was an emotional moment that softened hearts and sobered minds.
Yet, despite the brutality, Netanyahu still failed to achieve his goal of annihilating Hamas—an impossible aim from the outset. Hamas had taken 251 Israeli hostages; only 20 survived. As part of the ceasefire, Hamas released the survivors, while Israel freed over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners in a three-stage agreement brokered by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt.
Rebuilding from Ground Zero
The phased ceasefire allows displaced Palestinians to return home (or to what remains), increases aid deliveries, and mandates the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Reconstruction will take years, given Gaza’s near-total devastation.
War-weary Palestinians and restrained Israelis erupted in celebration at the peace signing—families reunited, hope flickered amid the rubble. It was hope kindled by Trump, from whom Palestinians once expected nothing good.
Sustaining peace now requires strict adherence to international law, UN resolutions, and respect for sovereignty and borders. Rebuilding Gaza means restoring critical infrastructure—water, electricity, hospitals, telecoms—and creating housing, farmland, and industrial zones.
Future of Hamas
Recovery must be Palestinian-led and anchored in a two-state solution. The Gulf States will demand guarantees of Palestinian sovereignty and recognition. There is room enough for the lion and the lamb to live side by side.
But the days of Hamas are over. Eighteen years of Hamas rule have been a disaster—more tunnels and rockets than schools and water. It has forfeited any moral authority to shape Palestine’s future.
Bibi’s Reckoning
Netanyahu, too, must face his reckoning. Before October 7, he was already battling corruption charges and clinging to power. His trial must continue—along with accountability for his conduct during the war. He prolonged his tenure by prolonging the war, at immense human cost.
If the peace holds, and Trump follows through with a two-state commitment, the White House may even nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump’s misdeeds have been many—disruptive, chaotic, and self-serving. Yet, if he can deliver a two-state solution and somehow bring Putin and Zelenskyy to the table, that might be the deal of our lifetime.
Then, perhaps, we can crown him and say: “Go, and sin no more.” [IDN-InDepthNews]
Image: Destruction in northern Gaza. © UNRWA