Trump Bets on “Peace in the Middle East” as Israel Marks Two Years Since October 7

Trump’s “Real Chance for Peace” Amid Gaza’s Deep Wounds

Two years after the October 7 attacks that reignited one of the bloodiest chapters in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, US President Donald Trump says he believes there’s still “a real chance” for peace in the Middle East.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump struck a tone of guarded optimism, saying his administration was “doing everything possible” to ensure both Israel and Hamas stick to a ceasefire deal currently being discussed in Egypt. The talks, taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, are built around a 20-point peace proposal drafted by the US, one that promises disarmament, prisoner exchanges, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

“I think there’s a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East,” Trump told reporters, suggesting his plan could end a war that has dragged on with devastating human cost.

Netanyahu Vows to “Eliminate Hamas”

In Jerusalem, however, the mood was far less hopeful. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu marked the second anniversary of the October 7 attack by reaffirming his country’s hardline objectives: to bring back all hostages, eliminate Hamas rule, and ensure Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.

“We are in fateful, decisive days,” Netanyahu declared. “We will continue to act to achieve all the war’s objectives.”

His words resonated across a grieving nation. In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, families of captives held in Gaza gathered for a candlelight vigil, a weekly ritual that has become both an act of mourning and defiance.

The Pain That Time Hasn’t Healed

For many Israelis, October 7 remains an open wound. The day, once a celebration marking the end of the Jewish festival of Sukkot, became the deadliest in the nation’s history. Hamas-led militants killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, dozens of whom remain in captivity.

At the site of the Nova music festival massacre, families lit candles where their loved ones had danced two years earlier. Orit Baron, whose daughter Yuval and her fiancé were killed that day, told reporters, “I’m here to be with her, because this is the last place she was alive. I feel that right now, she’s with me.”

Gaza’s Endless Grief

Across the border, Gaza’s suffering continues. The death toll in the territory has climbed past 67,000, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, numbers that the United Nations says are credible and reveal that more than half of those killed are women and children.

For young Gazans like 21-year-old Abeer Abu Said, who lost seven family members, hope has all but vanished. “My dream is for the war to end now, not tomorrow,” she said. “I don’t trust anyone, not the Israelis, not Hamas. They all negotiate while we die every minute.”

Inside the Sharm El-Sheikh Talks

Behind closed doors in Egypt, mediators are navigating a delicate political landscape. The discussions involving Egyptian, Qatari, Turkish, and now American envoys aim to finalize the first phase of Trump’s proposed deal.

That stage includes a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and coordinated humanitarian access to Gaza. A Palestinian source said Hamas negotiators are reviewing Israeli “maps” detailing troop withdrawals and the timeline for prisoner exchanges, insisting that “the release of captives must match the pace of Israeli withdrawals.”

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty described Trump as “the primary guarantee of success,” saying his personal involvement could be decisive.

Public Reaction: Hope or Political Show?

Reaction to Trump’s proposal has been sharply divided. In the US and Israel, supporters see it as a long-overdue step toward ending a war that has drained both political will and moral credibility. Critics, however, say the timing is convenient, coming as Trump eyes re-election and seeks to reassert American influence in the region.

On X (formerly Twitter), Middle East analysts debated whether Trump’s “deal-making” approach can overcome entrenched mistrust. “You can’t negotiate peace on the graves of 70,000 people,” one post read. Another countered, “If not now, when? Every war ends with a deal.”

A Fragile Hope

For now, the optimism Trump speaks of hangs by a thread. With Israeli airstrikes still hitting Gaza and Hamas demanding security guarantees, peace seems both tantalizingly close and painfully out of reach.

Still, for families on both sides Israelis lighting candles for their dead and Gazans burying theirs in silence, the idea of an end, however fragile, remains worth clinging to.

Because after two years of war, even the faintest promise of peace feels revolutionary.

{Source: The Citizen}

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