On October 25, 2025, the diplomatic spotlight turned to the tarmac of Al Udeid Air Base near Doha, Qatar, where U.S. President Donald Trump made an unscheduled, high-profile stopover en route to the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. The occasion was not just a routine refueling—far from it. Instead, it became a stage for a meeting that underscored the pivotal role Qatar has played in brokering the recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire and, more broadly, in shaping the fragile peace that now holds, however tenuously, across the Middle East.
As Air Force One idled on the runway, President Trump welcomed Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani aboard the presidential aircraft. According to Reuters, the meeting took place in the plane’s front cabin, with a television in the background showing a UFC match—a detail both oddly mundane and symbolic of the blend of high-stakes diplomacy and everyday life.
Trump wasted no time expressing his gratitude, telling the Emir, “Peace to the Middle East. They were a very big factor in that.” He added, “We have a safe Middle East and we want to keep it that way for a little longer.” The tone was one of camaraderie, but also of clear-eyed pragmatism. Trump’s words, reported by both Reuters and Al Jazeera, were more than ceremonial; they reflected the administration’s reliance on Qatar’s mediation in securing the ceasefire deal in Gaza, even as violence in the region continued to simmer.
The Emir, for his part, was quick to reciprocate the goodwill. As he recounted, “I said I’m not going to allow him to take off unless I come and say hello to him.” Later, in a post on X, the Emir described the encounter as “a good opportunity to discuss peace plans in the Middle East, follow up on efforts to solidify the agreement to end the war in Gaza, and explore prospects for strategic cooperation between our two friendly nations.”
Yet the diplomatic pleasantries belied a backdrop of ongoing conflict. As reported by Al Jazeera, even as the leaders met, Israeli forces continued their attacks on Gaza, killing at least one person and wounding four others in the Nuseirat refugee camp. The Israeli military claimed it was targeting a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad suspected of planning attacks against Israeli troops. Such incidents, described by Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud as “a breach of an already fragile ceasefire,” have become distressingly routine. In the past two weeks alone, there have been 88 reported violations involving the deaths of displaced families attempting to return to their homes behind what the Israeli military calls the “yellow line”—an ad hoc boundary that has effectively redrawn much of Gaza’s agricultural land.
Despite these setbacks, the Trump administration has sought to project optimism. “We’ve done a lot together, especially in the last year,” Trump told the Qatari leaders. “What we’ve done is incredible – peace to the Middle East – and they were a very big factor in it, so I just want to thank you.” He insisted that the truce would hold, adding, “If not, Hamas will not be hard to take care of. It will be very quickly. But I hope it holds for Hamas, too, because they gave us their word on something.”
One of the most significant developments discussed during the meeting was the prospect of an international stabilization force for Gaza. Trump revealed, “We have 59 countries. We have a lot of countries that are signed on. This should be an enduring peace.” He suggested that Qatari troops, along with those from other nations, might be part of this multinational effort, and noted that the security force could be deployed “pretty quickly,” with leaders being selected at that very moment. The Qatari government, in a statement shared by the Qatar News Agency, confirmed that the talks covered “supporting peace in the region, consolidating the agreement to end the war in Gaza, and ensuring the parties’ implementation of all its provisions.”
The meeting in Doha was just one piece of a broader diplomatic puzzle. In the days preceding the summit, senior Trump administration officials—including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio—visited Israel to ensure that America’s closest ally in the region was adhering to the terms of the deal and to hash out the details of the next phase of the Washington-led plan. According to Al Jazeera, Rubio also mentioned ongoing efforts to secure input on a possible United Nations resolution or international agreement to authorize the multinational force in Gaza. “Many of the countries that have expressed an interest in participating at some level—whether it be monetary or personnel or both—are going to need that [a UN resolution or international agreement], because their domestic laws require it,” Rubio stated. “So we have a whole team working on that outline of it.”
Yet, as always in the Middle East, progress is both real and precarious. Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari noted from Doha that the meeting came amid mounting pressure from both Israel and the U.S. on Hamas to release the bodies of Israelis captured during the attacks of October 7, 2023. Israel has accused Hamas of failing to return any bodies in the preceding four days, while Hamas claims it needs more time to access certain areas due to the devastation wrought by the war and ongoing bombardment.
Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain dire. Israel has continued to restrict deliveries of aid across the territory, putting additional strain on the already shaky ceasefire. The cumulative effect of these policies has been to further erode trust on all sides, even as diplomats work feverishly to keep the peace process on track.
Despite these challenges, U.S. officials have continued to emphasize the positive, telling reporters that the deal is progressing well, even as more work remains. The message from the Trump administration, as summarized by Al Jazeera’s Jabbari, is clear: Qatar’s role is indispensable, not just in brokering the initial ceasefire, but in shepherding the negotiations through their next, most delicate phases. “The United States president has highlighted that, without their mediating efforts, this ceasefire would not have been possible in the first place. And of course, moving forward, in order to advance from one stage to the next, it has to be with the input and consultation of the Qataris.”
In a gesture that further underscores the deepening ties between the two nations, Qatar’s royal family has pledged to donate a Boeing 747-8 luxury jumbo jet, valued at $400 million, to serve as a temporary Air Force One. While the gift has drawn scrutiny—even from some of Trump’s own supporters—it is emblematic of the trust and mutual interest that now bind Washington and Doha.
As Air Force One lifted off from Doha, the world was left to ponder whether this latest round of shuttle diplomacy would be enough to keep the peace in Gaza, or whether the region’s old ghosts would return to haunt yet another generation. For now, at least, the message from both sides was one of cautious hope, shaped by shared interests and tempered by the hard realities on the ground.