President Donald Trump’s push for a ceasefire in Gaza has done something few issues have lately: brought Republicans and Democrats together. But as Congress praises his peace plan as a rare sign of progress, some veteran diplomats warn the president’s bid to end the war may be running faster than the facts on the ground.
“There’s a reasonable chance that you get through partial implementation,” veteran U.S. peace negotiator Aaron David Miller, now at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told NOTUS. “But this, by no means, will mean the end of the war.”
Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan is now being tested in Egypt, where officials are holding indirect talks to turn the framework into a ceasefire agreement. Both Israel and Hamas have endorsed the plan’s broad principles, which include halting the fighting, freeing hostages and allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza. “I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday, the third day of ceasefire talks, to take part in the next round. The sides reportedly made progress during the first days of negotiations, and on Wednesday Hamas presented a list of hostages and detained Palestinians for a potential prisoner swap.
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Lawmakers in Washington said they are hopeful the talks will be a success, particularly after two years of war and tens of thousands of deaths. Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages. Israel’s response has left more than 67,000 Palestinians dead, Gaza’s health ministry says, and the United Nations warns that famine and destruction have engulfed much of the territory.
“This thing’s been going on for two years,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. “Hopefully this will work. You never know, but we’re all optimistic.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said he hopes the deal can lead to a permanent ceasefire, more aid, and “a path to stability and peace in the region.”
Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said, “This nightmare has to stop” and urged that any deal ensure humanitarian access and “a pathway back to a two-state solution.”
While lawmakers are optimistic, they acknowledged the plan was ambitious.
“Anything there has proven to be difficult,” Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said. He said Trump’s plan is the best option available. “Anybody who thinks they got a better alternative, I’m open to it.”
Texas Sen. John Cornyn said he is hopeful but does not trust Hamas, adding that the president “has made it pretty clear they will pay a heavy price” if they reject the plan.
Cornyn said he is unsure whether the deal will lead to lasting stability. “We’ll see,” he added.
The tone marks a rare moment of bipartisan unity as Congress remains divided over the government shutdown. Lawmakers yet to be briefed on how the plan would be enforced or what U.S. commitments would follow if it falters.
Some experts have warned that there are plenty of potential sticking points in the peace plan.
Thomas Pickering, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Israel, told Al Jazeera English that the Trump administration’s effort was “hopeful, but at the moment, somewhat unrealistic,” citing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s long-standing resistance to a Palestinian state.
“I think there are evidences of a real push, and there (are) evidences, obviously, of some serious inexperience in handling negotiations with two warring parties in the Middle East,” Pickering said.
Miller, the veteran peace negotiator, said the plan might secure limited wins, such as a hostage swap or a temporary slowdown in Israeli operations. But he said other elements of the plan — demilitarizing Hamas, installing a technocratic government, launching reconstruction under an international force — “a galaxy far, far away” from current capabilities. He said both Israel and Hamas are reluctant to accept terms the other side demands.
Still, Trump has achieved something no modern president has: convincing an Israeli prime minister to engage with a U.S. plan, Miller said. “There is no precedent for that,” he said.
Trump reportedly pushed hard on Netanyahu, telling him, “I don’t know why you’re always so f***ing negative. This is a win. Take it,” during a call about Hamas’s tentative acceptance of parts of the plan, Axios reported. Hamas is under pressure from Arab and Muslim leaders to accept a ceasefire and release hostages but said it needs a “guarantee” that the war will be ended for good, Reuters reported.
Trump “remains personally engaged” in the Cairo talks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday.
“All sides have agreed that this war needs to end and agreed to the 20-point framework the president proposed,” Leavitt said, adding that Trump “wants to see a ceasefire as soon as possible” and views the moment as “a critical step toward a lasting and durable peace.”
Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said he believes the president can make it happen.
“I wouldn’t bet against Trump,” he told NOTUS.
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