Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to a peace deal after U.S. President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum, threatening to withdraw U.S. backing, a new report says. The decision followed a tense conversation between Trump and Netanyahu, where Trump outlined his demands in strong terms. The deal, which was negotiated with mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, includes provisions for Israeli troop withdrawals and Hamas disarmament.
Trump’s ultimatum was prompted by mounting pressure on the Trump administration, particularly after Israel conducted strikes against Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, which violated the country’s sovereignty. Trump expressed his discontent with the situation, stating he was ‘very unhappy about every aspect’ of it. However, he used the incident as leverage to bring regional leaders together to negotiate an end to the conflict. Trump emphasized that the attack was so out of line that it forced the leaders to act, saying, ‘If you took that away, we might not be talking about this subject right now.’
Despite initial resistance from Netanyahu, Trump’s strong stance and detailed account of his contributions to Israel’s security, including the embassy relocation, Golan Heights recognition, and normalization of relations with Arab states, convinced Netanyahu to agree to the deal. According to Time magazine’s transcript of their conversation, Trump launched into a profanity-laced monologue, outlining his support for Israel and the consequences of not adhering to his demands.
The agreement, which also requires Hamas to return hostages within 36 hours, was hailed as a major diplomatic victory by Trump, who described the achievement as a ‘new horizon of hope’ for the Middle East. Trump visited officials in Egypt to formally acknowledge the deal’s completion, indicating his confidence in the agreement’s potential to bring about lasting peace. In addition to the Middle East, Trump has started looking at the Ukraine conflict, viewing the momentum from the peace deal as a pathway to resolving the ongoing war there.
World leaders have also commended the deal, with some expressing hope that the peace process could serve as a model for other regions facing similar conflicts, including Ukraine. Trump’s approach has been characterized by his determination to broker peace, even at the expense of strong confrontations with Israeli leadership. This latest development underscores the significant influence Trump’s administration has in regional diplomacy, particularly in the Middle East.