US President Donald Trump has expressed skepticism over the durability of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire as the tenuous truce entered its third day on Tuesday. The president’s remarks came during his first day in office, following his inauguration ceremony.
Speaking at the Oval Office during a signing ceremony, Trump said, “I’m not confident. It’s not our war. It’s their war. I think they are very weakened on the other side.”
“Gaza is like a massive demolition site. That place… it’s really got to be rebuilt in a different way,” said Trump.
“Gaza is interesting. It’s a phenomenal location on the sea, best weather, you know, everything’s good. It’s like some beautiful things could be done with it, but it’s very interesting, but some fantastic things could be done with Gaza.”
On the same day, one of Trump’s first actions as president was revoking sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank. These sanctions had been imposed by the Biden administration in response to settler attacks on Palestinians.
Trump’s return has been congratulated by both the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Ceasefire
Despite doubts about the ceasefire’s longevity, the agreement, brokered with assistance from Qatar and the US, has allowed the first exchange of hostages for prisoners and the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza. Residents of the war-ravaged territory have begun returning to devastated neighborhoods, combing through rubble in search of survivors and remnants of their homes.
Trump, who returned to the White House after defeating former vice president Kamala Harris, has claimed credit for the three-phase ceasefire deal.
The ceasefire, which took effect at 11:15AM local time on Sunday, followed over 15 months of conflict. Gaza has borne the brunt of the conflict, with over 47,000 Palestinians—most of them women and children—killed since October 2023, according to local authorities. The violence escalated after a Hamas-led cross-border attack that sparked widespread international condemnation.
Humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and fuel, is slowly making its way into the besieged territory. However, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains dire, with tens of thousands displaced, infrastructure obliterated, and basic services teetering on the edge of collapse.
Comments (0)