US President Donald Trump has forecast a “lasting peace” in Gaza in a deal to end bitter warfare that has killed thousands over the past two years, raising hopes that the outcome will go beyond a fragile ceasefire that might collapse into further fighting.
Israel appears set to welcome hostages home from captivity under Hamas as soon as Monday or Tuesday, clearing the way for Palestinian prisoners to be released.
However, there is no public guarantee that Hamas will relinquish its weapons despite clear demands from Israel for steps towards disarmament in order to justify its commitment to withdraw from almost half of Gaza.
While the terms of the peace deal are yet to be revealed, Trump is expected to head to the Middle East to seal the agreement this weekend and talked in Washington as if the outcome were assured.
“Last night we reached a momentous breakthrough in the Middle East, something that people said was never going to be done,” he said during a cabinet meeting in the US capital.
