Two years after the devastating October 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel’s western Negev, the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas may finally be approaching a turning point. In a dramatic shift, President Donald Trump’s administration has deployed a new diplomatic strategy—one that many observers now believe could deliver the most promising chance yet for a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.
On October 8, 2025, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, headed to Egypt to join high-stakes truce talks. Their mission: to help finalize a deal that could end two years of violence and reshape the Middle East’s political landscape. According to a White House official, the duo had just met with Trump in the Oval Office to chart their course, underscoring the personal attention the president is giving to the crisis.
The groundwork for this moment has been months in the making. As reported by POLITICO, Trump’s approach evolved sharply after Israeli airstrikes in September targeted Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar—a move that rattled regional partners and threatened to scuttle peace efforts. In response, Trump began actively soliciting the views of Arab and Muslim states, while pressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek an end to the war.
“We are closer to a deal than ever before because President Trump decided to leave Netanyahu no room for maneuver,” an Israeli adviser familiar with the talks told POLITICO. “Netanyahu has nowhere else to turn and needs him both internationally and domestically for any slim chance of political survival.”
The centerpiece of Trump’s diplomatic push is a 21-point (sometimes referenced as 20-point) peace plan, publicly unveiled on October 7. The proposal aims to facilitate the release of all remaining hostages, end the war, and temporarily transfer Gaza from Hamas control to an international trusteeship. The plan has been described by Trump as an unprecedented move to resolve a conflict “with roots going back thousands of years,” according to TV7 Israel News.
In a notable break from the past, Trump has leaned heavily on regional partners—especially Qatar, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia—to coax Hamas to the negotiating table and pressure Netanyahu to accept compromise. This new multilateralism contrasts with the more unilateral, public-facing tactics that marked Trump’s first term. Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian-American businessman and occasional mediator, told the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, “On the Hamas side—I met them on Saturday—there was optimism. They were pleased with the president’s reaction.”
Many of the same sticking points remain: the specifics of Israel Defense Forces’ withdrawal from Gaza, whether Hamas can deliver all hostages (including those held by other groups), the timing of prisoner releases from Israel, and the channels for humanitarian aid. Yet, a sense of momentum is palpable. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Thani is set to join the negotiations in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, at what his spokesperson calls “a critical stage of the talks.”
Trump’s hands-on involvement has included moments of direct intervention. After the controversial Israeli missile strikes in Doha, the president directed Netanyahu to call Qatar’s prime minister from the Oval Office and read an apology drafted by the White House—with input from Qatari officials. A Qatari ally was present in the Oval Office to ensure Netanyahu stuck to the script, according to multiple sources cited by POLITICO. Shortly after, Netanyahu agreed to Trump’s peace plan, setting the stage for the current round of negotiations.
To sweeten the deal and cement ties with Qatar, Trump signed an executive order on October 1, 2025, creating a NATO-like security guarantee for the Gulf state. The United States now pledges to defend Qatar in the event of attack—a significant move, especially given the region’s volatility. Earlier in the year, Trump even accepted a $400 million 747 jet from Qatar, which is being converted for use as Air Force One.
“One of the biggest accomplishments of President Trump is to get the Arab world involved in dealing with the Palestinian issue,” said Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), as quoted by POLITICO. “People in the Mideast respond to the strong horse. When he took on Iran, he got a lot of credit in the Arab world. Israel believes he’s the best president they’ve had in a long time. So this combination has driven us to where we were today.”
Trump’s efforts have not gone unnoticed by regional players. When he unveiled the ceasefire proposal, he publicly thanked leaders of Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, and even mentioned Iran as a potential partner in the peace process, according to TV7 Israel News. The plan’s regional buy-in is seen as a key difference from previous U.S. attempts to broker peace.
The regional implications of the plan are profound. As discussed on Jerusalem Studio, the proposal could redefine alliances and security arrangements across the Middle East. Israel’s military campaigns have, for now, neutralized threats from Hezbollah in Lebanon and severely weakened Hamas in Gaza. However, Israel’s diplomatic isolation has grown, with European leaders calling for Palestinian statehood and some Arab leaders—previously signatories to the Abraham Accords—expressing frustration with Netanyahu’s government.
“From a strength standpoint, Israel has never been in a stronger position. They wiped out Hezbollah in Lebanon, obliterated Hamas in Gaza and convinced the U.S. to strike Iran. But diplomatically, they’ve never been as isolated,” said a source involved in the negotiations, as reported by POLITICO.
Trump’s team is well aware that the stakes are high. If the deal succeeds, it could usher in a new era of regional cooperation, with the U.S. at the center of a broad coalition. If it fails, the Gaza war could drag on, with further suffering for civilians and rising tensions among neighboring states. The current round of talks in Egypt—bringing together U.S., Israeli, Qatari, Egyptian, and Saudi officials—may represent the last, best hope for a negotiated settlement.
Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) summed up the historic nature of the moment: “When was the last time we had a president that actually had all of these other countries in the Middle East actually turning towards one of these terrorist organizations like Hamas and saying, ‘You need to accept this peace agreement. You need to stop killing people’?”
As the world watches the negotiations in Sharm El-Sheikh, the possibility of peace—long thought unattainable—suddenly seems within reach. The coming days will reveal whether Trump’s gamble on regional diplomacy can finally bring the guns of Gaza to a halt.