Trump declares 'end of war' as Netanyahu insists Israel's fight 'not over'

With the desert winds of diplomacy stirring once more over the Middle East, US President Donald Trump proclaimed that “the war is over,” even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struck a defiant note, warning that the nation’s fight was “not over yet.” The dueling declarations — one bathed in optimism, the other forged in caution — set the stage for a potentially historic Gaza peace summit that could redraw the contours of a long-broken land.

On Sunday, 12 October, Trump embarked on a dramatic journey to Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh, where world leaders are converging for what he hails as the defining peace breakthrough of his second term. The summit, co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, follows a tenuous ceasefire that silenced more than two years of unrelenting conflict and bloodshed in Gaza.

At the heart of this fragile calm lies Trump’s ambitious 20-point peace plan, crafted through the mediation of Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye — and sealed through what aides describe as his “personal diplomacy” with Netanyahu and Hamas. Many are now asking whether the plan—long dismissed as a diplomatic mirage—can finally deliver peace to a region more familiar with despair than hope.

( @realDonaldTrump - Truth Social Post )
( Donald J. Trump - Oct 12, 2025, 5:19 PM ET ) pic.twitter.com/9gYoOQAZx9

— Fan Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 TRUTH POSTS (@TruthTrumpPosts) October 12, 2025

600 trucks to deliver aid to Gaza as Israel-Hamas truce begins easing life

Before flying to Egypt, Trump is expected to make a symbolic stop in Israel, his first visit since the ceasefire, to meet Netanyahu and address the Knesset. Boarding Air Force One under a drizzling sky, Trump appeared buoyant. “Everyone was cheering at one time — that’s never happened before,” he said, gesturing animatedly. “Half a million people in Israel, and Muslims and Arabs cheering too. That tells you something — maybe it’s really happening.”

The ceasefire, which took effect on Friday, 10 October 2025 paved the way for Hamas to release the final 20 Israeli hostages, along with the bodies of 20 others who perished in captivity, through the Red Cross. In return, Israel agreed to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and reopen Gaza’s sealed crossings to convoys laden with food, medicine, and shelter.

Yet, amid the cautious euphoria, Netanyahu’s message to his people was resolute. In a televised address, he hailed the forthcoming release of hostages as a “historic event,” but cautioned that “the campaign is not over yet.” Israel, he said, still faces “very big security challenges,” warning that some of its enemies “are trying to regroup.” His tone reflected the steely realism of a leader unwilling to lower his guard even in a moment of fragile peace.

Echoing his prime minister, Israel’s military chief, Eyal Zamir, declared that the nation had achieved a “victory over Hamas,” crediting a blend of military might and diplomatic resolve. Yet he, too, stressed that Israel remains “in the midst of a multi-front war,” vowing to reshape the region’s security architecture so that Gaza “never again poses a threat” to Israel’s civilians.

מחר ישובו בנים לגבולם.

מחר זו תחילתה של דרך חדשה.
דרך של בנייה, דרך של ריפוי, ואני מקווה - דרך של איחוד לבבות. pic.twitter.com/BepFQzpHTB

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 12, 2025

Trump’s peace framework envisions a bold reconstruction blueprint for Gaza. A Board of Peace, chaired by Trump himself and operationally led by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, will oversee the rebuilding of a territory where, according to the UN, 80 percent of infrastructure lies in ruins. Hamas will be excluded from governance, replaced by a transitional administration of “qualified Palestinians and international experts.”

To ensure stability, Egypt and Jordan will jointly train and deploy a 5,000-member Palestinian security force, while Indonesia has pledged 20,000 troops to support the mission. The international effort — though still in its infancy — hints at a rare unity of purpose across Arab and Western capitals.

The summit’s guest list reflects its gravity: UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and leaders from Qatar and the UAE are all expected to attend. India will be represented by Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh.

As Air Force One cut through the night sky en route to Cairo, Trump appeared both triumphant and reflective. “You have to get people taken care of first,” he said softly. “But it’s going to start — immediately.”

For a region scarred by wars and wary of promises, the coming hours could mark a turning point — the fragile dawn of a peace too long deferred, or merely the quiet pause before history’s next storm.

With IANS inputs