Trump Declares End to Israel-Hamas Conflict Amid Expert Caution

President Donald Trump has declared the end of the two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas, following a ceasefire agreement that includes the release of all remaining Israeli hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

In a speech to the Israeli parliament, Trump stated, > "After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed commitment to the peace process, acknowledging the pivotal role of the U.S. in brokering the agreement. > "Mr. President, today we welcome you here to thank you for your pivotal leadership in putting forward a proposal that got the backing of almost the entire world," Netanyahu said.

Following his visit to Israel, Trump co-chaired a peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, where the official signing ceremony of the ceasefire proposal took place. El-Sisi praised the agreement as a historic milestone, calling it > "a glimpse of hope that such [a] deal ends an agonizing chapter in the history of mankind, and opens the door, ushering in a new era of peace and stability in the Middle East."

Despite these developments, experts caution that significant challenges remain. Michael Ratney, former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, noted, > "I'd like to say it was peace. It's not peace yet. There's a lot of work, and that includes many of the measures that are on that 20-point plan that the White House released."

Key issues still to be addressed include the total withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, and the establishment of a governance structure for Gaza under international oversight. Javid Ali, a former senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council, highlighted the complexity of demilitarizing Hamas, stating, > "It's still not clear who is going to actually oversee that demobilization, demilitarization, whether it's the Israel Defense Forces or this international security body that's still not comprised and on the ground."

The Hostage Families Forum has accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement by releasing only four of the 28 hostages who perished in captivity. In a statement, the forum said, > "We expect Israel's government and the mediators to take immediate action to rectify this grave injustice."

Andrew Miller, senior fellow for the Center for American Progress, emphasized the importance of adherence to the agreement by all parties, stating, > "The only way this plan is going to work is if both sides adhere to what they agreed to do. Any of them fall apart, and it could challenge the rest of the plan."

While the ceasefire marks a significant step toward peace, the path to lasting stability in the region remains complex and uncertain.