Donald Trump takes a victory lap in Egypt — But did the Gaza deal truly end the war? What comes next for Palestinians?

On Monday, US President Donald Trump spoke for more than an hour in the Israeli parliament, taking a victory lap for the ceasefire deal and repeatedly, pointedly telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to restart the Gaza war.

Trump returned to the global stage to claim credit for ending the Gaza war, landing in Israel just as the first hostages were released by Hamas and later presiding over a hastily arranged peace summit in Egypt.

The US President's triumphal visit — filled with applause, spectacle, and bold declarations of “a new Middle East” — has raised hopes of peace but also scepticism about what the ceasefire truly means for Gaza and the Palestinians left amid its ruins.

A ‘Historic Dawn’ or a Fragile Pause?

President Donald Trump’s dramatic arrival in Israel on Monday, moments after the first hostages were released by Hamas, was met with scenes of jubilation rarely seen for a foreign leader.

In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, crowds chanted “Trump, Trump,” and in the Knesset, lawmakers donned red MAGA-style hats. The mood was one of triumph — a country celebrating what many hailed as the end of two years of devastating conflict.

Trump declared to Israel’s Parliament that this was “not only the end of a war, this is the end of the age of terror and death.” He called it “the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”

But as peace banners fluttered in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh during a hastily arranged “peace summit,” fundamental questions lingered.

What exactly does the ceasefire entail? And does it truly mark the end of war — or merely the beginning of another uncertain chapter for Gaza and the wider region?

What Did Trump Achieve in Israel?

Donald Trump’s visit to Israel was filled with spectacle and symbolism. He received roaring applause when he praised Israel’s military might and lauded its strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. “We took a big cloud off of the Middle East and off of Israel,” Trump said, claiming that Arab states would not have pressured Hamas into releasing hostages if not for his decision to destroy Iran’s major nuclear facilities.

He went further, offering an unexpected olive branch to Tehran — a nation Israel and the United States bombed only months ago. “You know what would be great, if we could make a peace deal with them,” Trump mused to lawmakers. “Would you be happy with that?” The room responded with silence.

Netanyahu, often criticised for his strained relationship with Washington, praised Trump as “the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House.” There was even talk among Israeli legislators of nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize and the Israel Prize.

Yet beneath the cheers and the choreographed optics, the future of Gaza — and of Palestinian statehood — remained conspicuously vague.

What Does the Gaza Ceasefire Actually Say?

The ceasefire agreement, part of Donald Trump’s so-called 20-point peace plan, includes provisions for the release of hostages, the flow of humanitarian aid, and a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. However, Israel’s full military withdrawal is conditional upon Hamas’ disarmament — a clause that gives Netanyahu room to resume military operations if he deems it necessary.

Hamas’ chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, insists otherwise. He said last week that the group had received “guarantees from the US and international mediators confirming that this deal means ‘the war has ended permanently,’ rather than representing a temporary ceasefire.”

But the ambiguity of those guarantees raises doubts about how binding they truly are.

What Comes Next for Gaza — and Who Will Govern It?

Experts warn that the ceasefire’s success hinges on the future governance of Gaza. “You have what looks like a pathway to Palestinian statehood … but this, ultimately, is a Palestinian state that does not seem to have any place for Hamas,” said Burcu Ozcelik, senior research fellow for Middle East security at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

Ozcelik cautioned that “to what extent Hamas will agree to this and comply with this in the weeks and months to come – I think that is a big question.” She added that while Israel would likely maintain its “national security imperative to operate in Gaza if it believes there is a credible threat,” the territory urgently needs a governing structure capable of delivering security, law enforcement, and humanitarian aid.

Regional powers such as Egypt and Turkey are expected to play pivotal roles in this transition. “I think for the time being, all sides are going to want to be seen as doing all that they can to make Trump’s plan work,” Ozcelik said.

Why Were Israel and Hamas Absent from the Peace Summit?

At the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, world leaders from over 20 nations gathered beneath a banner reading PEACE 2025. Trump, visibly relishing the moment, said: “These people all came in like 20 minutes notice.” Yet neither Israel nor Hamas attended, and no one could clearly explain what the signed peace document contained.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi framed the moment as a global turning point: “From the city of Sharm el-Sheikh, the will of the people meets the resolve of world leaders to end the war in Gaza. They all carry a single message to mankind: Enough war. Welcome to peace.”

But critics pointed out that without the key belligerents present, the summit’s declarations risked being purely symbolic.

Can Trump’s Plan Deliver a Lasting Peace?

For now, Trump’s political triumph abroad contrasts sharply with his divisiveness at home. His supporters see him as the architect of an improbable peace; his detractors, as a showman capitalising on fragile diplomacy.

He spoke at length about the role of his envoy, Steve Witkoff — a New York real estate developer whom Trump described as “Henry Kissinger who doesn’t leak.” Yet even Trump’s closest aides offered little detail about how the 20-point plan will be implemented, or who will fund the reconstruction of Gaza’s shattered infrastructure.

While Trump lauded Israel as “stronger, more respected,” he ignored the country’s growing diplomatic isolation. European powers are now openly backing a separate Palestinian state, driven in part by outrage over civilian casualties from Israel’s bombing campaigns.

A Fragile Calm Beneath the Celebrations

Despite the upbeat mood in Jerusalem, signs of tension persist. Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, warned that Hamas’ delays in releasing the remains of hostages would be considered “a blunt violation of the agreement and will be answered accordingly.”

Meanwhile, two Israeli lawmakers were forcibly removed from the Knesset after holding signs reading “Recognize Palestine!” during Trump’s speech. One of them, Ayman Odeh, later wrote: “There are two peoples here, and neither one of them is leaving.”

As Trump departed for Cairo, claiming victory over terror and credit for peace, Netanyahu’s office issued a cautious statement: “The military campaign in Gaza is not over.”

The ceasefire may have ended active combat — for now. But without a clear roadmap for Gaza’s governance, Palestinian statehood, and Israel’s security, Trump’s self-declared “dawn of a new Middle East” could just as easily fade into another long, uneasy twilight.