In brief
Amid escalating tensions in the region, former President Trump's diplomacy has yielded a groundbreaking agreement in Gaza, rooted in his unique relationships with both Israeli and Arab leaders. This contrasts sharply with President Biden's more cautious diplomatic stance, highlighting the shifting dynamics in U.S. foreign policy and Trump's ability to navigate complex international relations. The deal includes the release of hostages and sets a foundation for further negotiations on regional stability.
At the time, Israel's air strike against the Hamas negotiating team in Qatar seemed like yet another escalation that pushed the prospect of peace further away.The attack on 9 September violated the sovereignty of an American ally and risked expanding the conflict into a region-wide war.Diplomacy appeared to be in ruins.Instead, it turned out to be a key moment that has led to a deal, announced by President Donald Trump, to release all remaining hostages. This is a goal that he, and President Joe Biden before him, had sought for nearly two years.It is just the first step towards a more durable peace, and the details of Hamas disarmament, Gaza governance, and full Israeli withdrawal remain to be negotiated.But if this agreement holds, it could be Trump's signature achievement of his second term - one that eluded Biden and his diplomatic team.Trump's unique style and crucial relationships with Israel and the Arab world appear to have contributed to this breakthrough. But, as with most diplomatic achievements, there were also factors at play beyond the control of either man.In public, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are all smiles. Trump likes to say that Israel has no better friend, and Netanyahu has described Trump as Israel's greatest ever ally in the White House. And these warm words have been matched by actions.During his first presidential term, Trump moved the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and abandoned a long-held US position that Israeli settlements in the Palestinian West Bank are illegal, the position under international law.When Israel began its air strikes against Iran in June, Trump ordered US bombers to target the nation's nuclear enrichment facilities with its most powerful conventional bombs.According to reports, Trump's negotiator, Steve Witkoff, browbeat Netanyahu in late 2024 into accepting a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of some hostages.The US president's close ties with the Gulf states are well documented. He has business dealings with Qatar and the UAE. He began both his presidential terms with state visits to Saudi Arabia. This year, he also stopped in Doha and Abu Dhabi.In light of the new peace deal, Trump has used his leverage from previous relationships to negotiate terms that could ensure a more stable future for Gaza.Biden's relationship with Netanyahu's government was always more tenuous. His administration's bear hug strategy held that the US had to embrace Israel publicly in order to allow it to moderate the nation's war conduct in private.Ultimately, Trump was faced with a European-Arab alliance versus Israeli nationalists and the far right when it came to visions for Gaza's longer-term future. He chose his friends in the Gulf.The global condemnation of Israel over its actions in Gaza also weighed on Trump's thinking. As Israel took military control of the food supply to Palestinians and then announced a planned assault on Gaza City, several major European countries, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, decided they couldn't stay aligned with Washington's position of unequivocal support for Israel.The complications of global politics, domestic pressures, and differing diplomatic styles have led to an unexpected but vital breakthrough.
