President Donald J. Trump brokered a breakthrough plan which incentivized the Gaza peace deal. Following nearly two years of devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas, peace has finally begun. On Wed. October 8, Israel and Hamas came to agreement on the beginning stages of the ceasefire plan promoted by President Trump.
Starting in 2007, Hamas took control of the Gaza strip. This caused Israel and Egypt to shut down most of Gaza’s borders, due to the lack of security, and limiting weapons and attacks. This meant that people and goods would also be limited to moving in or out of the borders easily and efficiently. As time went on violence began to escalade and left Gaza in critical condition. Taking into consideration that the humanitarian and infrastructure crisis in Gaza was already an issue, high poverty, unemployment, damaged infrastructure, and limited economic prospects continued to point out the problems within Gaza.
Since 2007, the tension among Hamas and Israel has seen much improvement. In October 2023, the escalation of violence began with a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas fired thousands of rockets along with sending armed soldiers over the border into towns within Israel and their communities. These attackers killed around 1,200 people and took around 200 hostages back to the streets of Gaza. Shock overwhelmed the Israeli people, causing them to declare war on Hamas, keeping in mind that this sort of arrangement hadn’t happened in decades. The declaration of the war caused a massive airstrike on Hamas leaders and led to a siege in Hamas, which cut off electricity and water supply within the Gaza strip. After the action of the siege a ground invasion was launched destroying Hamas’s military capability.
The war inflicted by the violence of Hamas led to a crisis that is just recently seeking peace. In recent weeks, the anniversary of the October 7th attacks was reached, recognizing two years since these horrific attacks took the lives of so many. Many political leaders around the world expressed their condolences to the families who lost loved ones, such as the President of the European Commission.
President Ursula Von Der Leyen said, “We honour their memory by working tirelessly for peace. The immediate release of all hostages and a ceasefire are now within reach…This moment must be seized to pave the way for a lasting peace in the region, based on the two-state solution.”
After over 18 years of conflict, a milestone was reached in the month of October 2025. On Oct. 8, one day after the two year anniversary of the attacks on Israel, Hamas and Israel finally came to an agreement. Mediated by U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Egypt, the first phase of the peace deal between the two sides was agreed upon. This deal included immediate suspension of most hostilities, release of hostages held by Hamas, 2,000 Palestinian prisoners released, and humanitarian aid access to Gaza. This day was a huge moment for the Israeli people and served as an emotional breaking point for their people. Although the situation with Hamas and Gaza still remains unstable, the opportunity for reconstruction and peace for the Israeli people means a great deal and is viewed as a huge moment in history.
