WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the formation of a Gaza &quot;board of peace,&quot; a key phase two element of a US-backed plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory. &quot;It is my Great Honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed,&quot; Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, adding that the members of the body will be announced &quot;shortly.&quot; &quot;I can say with certainty that it is the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place,&quot; Trump said. The board&#39;s creation comes shortly after the announcement of a 15-member <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/former-palestinian-deputy-minister-to-lead-gaza-governance-body-mediators" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Palestinian technocratic committee</a>, charged with managing the day-to-day governance of post-war Gaza. The committee will work under the supervision of the board of peace, which Trump said Thursday he will lead as its chair. The plan also calls for the deployment of an International Stabilization Force to help secure Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police units. &quot;The ball is now in the court of the mediators, the American guarantor and the international community to empower the committee,&quot; Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas leader, said in a statement on Thursday. The US-backed Gaza peace plan first came into force on Oct. 10, facilitating the return of all the hostages held by Hamas and an end to the fighting between the Palestinian militant group and Israel in the besieged territory. The plan&#39;s second phase is now underway, though clouded by ongoing allegations of aid shortages and violence. Gaza&#39;s health ministry has said Israeli forces have killed 451 people since the ceasefire ostensibly took effect. For Palestinians, the central issue remains Israel&#39;s full military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip &mdash; a step included in the plan&#39;s framework but for which no detailed timetable has been announced. Hamas, meanwhile, has refused to publicly commit to a full disarmament, a non-negotiable demand from Israel. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump&#39;s special envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington expects Hamas to &quot;comply fully with its obligations.&quot; Hamas is preparing to hold internal elections to rebuild its leadership, which has been decimated by Israeli killings during the war in Gaza. That vote is expected &quot;in the first months of 2026,&quot; a Hamas leader told AFP Monday. Trump shared Witkoff&#39;s post Thursday, adding &quot;These Palestinian leaders are unwaveringly committed to a PEACEFUL future!&quot; in reference to the transitional government he selects. &quot;With the support of Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar, we will secure a COMPREHENSIVE Demilitarization Agreement with Hamas, including the surrender of ALL weapons, and the dismantling of EVERY tunnel,&quot; Trump said.

Middle East

A technocratic committee will work under the supervision of the board of peace, which Trump is expected to chair; plan also calls for the deployment of an International Stabilization Force to help secure Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police units.

Trump announces 'board of peace' as part of Gaza peace plan

CAIRO: A US-backed plan to end the war in Gaza was moving into its second phase, Washington&#39;s top negotiator said Wednesday, as Palestinian factions agreed on the makeup of a post-war governing committee. President Donald Trump&#39;s envoy Steve Witkoff wrote on X that phase two of the US leader&#39;s 20-point plan would shift the Palestinian territory &quot;from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance and reconstruction.&quot; Phase one, launched in October, involved a ceasefire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, partial Israeli withdrawal, and a surge of humanitarian aid. Under the second phase, Gaza would be run by a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee supervised by a so-called &quot;Board of Peace,&quot; to be chaired by Trump himself. Egypt said all committee members had been agreed upon by all Palestinian factions, which swiftly offered their support. Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority, was named to lead the body, according to a joint statement by mediators Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar. The PA &mdash; which is dominated by Fatah, Hamas&#39;s rival &mdash; governs parts of the occupied West Bank not under Israeli control. The mediators did not disclose the remaining names. Speaking at a press conference in Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said he hoped the committee would soon be deployed to Gaza to &quot;manage daily life and essential services.&quot; Palestinian factions, including Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad, said they would support the committee and would help create &quot;the appropriate environment&quot; for it to begin its work. The Ramallah-based Palestinian presidency also announced its support, with a source from the office telling AFP the statement &quot;reflects the position of the Fatah movement because President (Mahmud) Abbas is also the head of Fatah.&quot; Disarming&nbsp;Hamas has repeatedly said it does not seek a role in any future governing authority in the Palestinian territory, and would limit its role to monitoring governance to ensure stability and facilitate reconstruction. A senior Hamas official, Taher al-Nunu, meanwhile, told AFP the group welcomed Witkoff&#39;s announcement, adding &quot;the factions will make every effort to ensure the success of the committee&#39;s work.&quot; Witkoff said that phase two aims for &quot;the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel.&quot; It remains unclear how Hamas, which has long resisted disarmament, would comply. Witkoff said the United States expects the Palestinian group to fulfill its obligations, including the return of the last deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, held in Gaza. &quot;Failure to do so will bring serious consequences,&quot; he added. Israel had earlier said it would not begin talks on the second phase of the ceasefire until Gvili is returned. In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, together with Gvili&#39;s family, called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu &quot;to honor his commitment&quot; not to proceed to phase two until Gvili is brought home. Netanyahu said he had spoken with Gvili&#39;s parents and assured them the &quot;move to establish a technocratic committee will not affect the efforts to return Ran,&quot; though he offered no assessment of the committee itself or the progression to phase two. Next stepsDiscussions in Cairo have also focused on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the reopening of the Rafah crossing, the entry of aid currently stockpiled on the Egyptian side of the border, and preparations for launching the second phase of the ceasefire plan, a senior Hamas official told AFP. The US-proposed Board of Peace is expected to be led on the ground by Bulgarian diplomat and politician Nickolay Mladenov, who has recently held talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials. Mladenov previously served as the United Nations envoy for the Middle East peace process from early 2015 until the end of 2020. Media reports say Trump is expected to announce the members of the Board of Peace in the coming days, with the body set to include around 15 world leaders.

Under the second phase, Gaza would be run by a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee supervised by a so-called 'Board of Peace,' to be chaired by Trump himself; Trump is expected to announce the members in the coming days, with the body set to include around 15 world leaders.

US says Gaza truce plan entering phase two as governance body formed

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday strongly condemned the recent attacks by Israeli forces across Gaza, which have reportedly claimed the lives of several Palestinian civilians, including women and children, and left many others injured.&nbsp;The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that these attacks represent a blatant violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the recently signed Sharm el-Sheikh peace agreement. The statement added that such actions undermine global efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region.&nbsp;Pakistan reiterated its call on the international community to take immediate steps to end Israeli impunity, stop ceasefire violations, and ensure adherence to international human rights and humanitarian law.&nbsp;The government reaffirmed its long-standing support for the creation of an independent, sovereign, and contiguous State of Palestine based on pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.&nbsp;The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the statement from Islamabad on November 23, 2025.

Foreign Affairs

FO says these attacks represent a blatant violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the recently signed Sharm el-Sheikh peace agreement.

Pakistan strongly condemns Israeli attacks in Gaza

WASHINGTON DC/JERUSALEM: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that Hamas must lay down its arms and turn in its weapons.&nbsp; &quot;If they don&#39;t disarm, we will disarm them,&quot; Trump told reporters at the White House a day after visiting the Middle East to celebrate the Gaza ceasefire. &quot;And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently.&quot; He said those who agree to &quot;decommission their weapons&quot; will be given amnesty. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained the war cannot end until Hamas surrenders its weapons and cedes control of Gaza, a demand the fighters have rejected.&nbsp; &quot;First, Hamas has to give up its arms, and second, you want to make sure that there are no weapons factories inside Gaza. There&#39;s no smuggling of weapons into Gaza. That&#39;s demilitarization,&quot; he said in an interview with CBS News.&nbsp;Meanwhile,&nbsp;Hamas is reported to be fighting what it calls Israel-supported &quot;outlaws.&quot;&nbsp;In the north of the territory, as Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza City, black-masked armed men have resumed street patrols.&nbsp; A Hamas security unit has been conducting operations against armed clans and gangs.&nbsp;&quot;Intense clashes broke out -- and are still ongoing at the moment -- as part of efforts to eliminate collaborators,&quot; said witness Yahya, who asked not to be named in full for fear of retribution. Reassuring presenceHamas has, since it crushed rival Fatah in armed clashes in 2007, been the dominant Palestinian faction in Gaza. For many Palestinians rebuilding their homes and lives amid Gaza&#39;s rubble, the sight of the militants was reassuring.&nbsp;&quot;After the war ended and the police spread out in the streets, we started to feel safe,&quot; said 34-year-old Abu Fadi Al-Banna in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.&nbsp;Hamdiya Shammiya, 40, who was driven from her home in northern Gaza by the fighting to seek shelter in the southern city of Khan Yunis, agreed.&nbsp;&quot;Thank God the war is finally over. We&#39;ve started to breathe a little,&quot; she said.&nbsp;While Palestinians sought stability, Israeli families stepped up pressure for the return of the remains of deceased hostages still held in Gaza. Israel to reopen Gaza&#39;s Rafah crossingMeanwhile, Israel said it will allow Gaza&#39;s key Rafah crossing to reopen on Wednesday for humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinian territory, AFP reported.&nbsp;&quot;Six hundred trucks of humanitarian aid will be dispatched (Wednesday) to the Gaza Strip by the UN, approved international organizations, the private sector and donor countries,&quot; Israeli public broadcaster KAN said on its website without citing sources.&nbsp;The Israeli public broadcaster said the reopening of the southern Rafah crossing, decided by the &quot;political echelon&quot;, follows Hamas handing over the remains of four more hostages late Tuesday, under the ceasefire deal for the Palestinian territory. Prominent Gaza hospital chief remains in Israeli prisonIn another development, more than 100 medical personnel seized during raids on hospitals remain in Israeli prisons, including Dr Hossam Abu Safiya, a hospital director who became the face of the struggle to keep treating patients under Israeli siege and bombardment, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.&nbsp; Despite widespread calls for his release, Abu Safiya was not among the Palestinian detainees and prisoners freed Monday in exchange for 20 hostages held by Hamas.&nbsp; Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, has been imprisoned without charge by Israel for nearly 10 months.&nbsp; It was not known if Abu Safiya, 52, might still be released. Israeli officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. His family said on social media there were &ldquo;no confirmed details about the date of his release,&rdquo; adding that freed detainees described him as &ldquo;in good health and strong spirits.&rdquo; The Israeli military said Abu Safiya was being investigated on suspicion of cooperating with or working for Hamas.&nbsp; Health Workers Watch, which documents detentions from Gaza, said at least 115 medical workers remain in custody, as well as the remains of four who died while in Israeli prisons, where rights groups and witnesses have reported frequent abuse.

Says those Hamas members who agree to 'decommission their weapons' will be given amnesty. World powers endorse peace agreement, saying Gaza will be demilitarized, Hamas will have no leadership role.

Trump on Hamas: 'If they don't disarm, we will disarm them'

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday described the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a &ldquo;historic milestone&rdquo; towards peace in the Middle East, but reiterated that Pakistan&rsquo;s ultimate goal remains the creation of an independent Palestinian state.&nbsp;In a statement shared before departing Sharm el-Sheikh after attending the Gaza Peace Summit, the prime minister said Pakistan&rsquo;s foremost concern was to end the &ldquo;genocidal campaign&rdquo; in Gaza and secure an immediate halt to hostilities.&nbsp;&ldquo;Along with other brotherly nations, we consistently emphasized this priority. Our gratitude to President Trump is anchored in his promise to make it stop &mdash; and delivering on that promise,&rdquo; Sharif said, expressing appreciation for the US leader&rsquo;s role in brokering the ceasefire.&nbsp;<iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1977978658171011197&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2F&sessionId=f37eec23129ad603d10d8fd9bfb8b78d091d5c7a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">As I board the plane to return home after the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el Sheikh, I want to share some reflections on the potentially transformational nature of what took place and why Pakistan has been so deeply involved. The most important priority for Pakistan was the&hellip;&mdash; Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMShehbaz/status/1977978658171011197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">October 14, 2025</a></blockquote>The premier noted that Pakistan&rsquo;s engagement in the summit reflected its enduring commitment to the Palestinian cause. &ldquo;The Palestinian people&rsquo;s freedom, dignity and prosperity remain a primary concern for Pakistan,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Reaffirming Islamabad&rsquo;s long-standing policy, Sharif stressed that the establishment of a strong, viable Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital &ldquo;remains the bedrock of Pakistan&rsquo;s Middle East policy and will remain so.&rdquo;&nbsp;PM hails Trump for Gaza peace dealThe remarks come a day after PM Sharif attended the signing of the Gaza ceasefire declaration at the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit for Peace in Egypt. Addressing the summit, Sharif said peace had been achieved after &ldquo;undying efforts led by President Trump, who is genuinely a man of peace.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Prime Minister recalled that Pakistan had earlier nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the conflict between India and Pakistan and announced his decision to &ldquo;nominate him once again for his extraordinary contribution in stopping the Gaza war.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;He has saved millions of lives. Mr President, I salute you. You are the man this world needed the most at this time,&rdquo; Sharif added.&nbsp;Smiling in response, Trump, sharing the podium with Sharif, added, &ldquo;Wow, I didn&#39;t expect that...that was very beautiful.&rdquo;&nbsp;Earlier, Trump and leaders from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey signed a declaration guaranteeing the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Under the agreement, Hamas freed the last 20 surviving captives in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.&nbsp;Trump called it &ldquo;a tremendous day for the Middle East and for the world,&rdquo; expressing confidence that the ceasefire &ldquo;is going to hold up.&rdquo;

Says the Palestinian people’s freedom, dignity, and prosperity remain a primary concern for Pakistan.

Ceasefire a milestone, but Palestinian statehood remains core objective: PM Sharif

Reuters

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump, a self-proclaimed peacemaker who has campaigned for a Nobel Prize, finally got a camera-ready diplomatic victory on Monday as world leaders flew to Egypt for the signing of the ceasefire and hostage-release deal he brokered between Israel and Hamas.&nbsp;But if lasting peace is to take root, analysts and diplomats say, Trump will have to maintain pressure on the man whose support he&#39;ll need in the next phases of his plan: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.&nbsp;US presidents from Bill Clinton to Joe Biden have found the strong-willed Israeli leader difficult to work with, and even Trump administration officials have been frustrated by some Israeli military strikes they see as undermining US policy.&nbsp;But this month, Trump managed to push Netanyahu into accepting his framework for a broader peace deal while persuading other Middle Eastern countries to convince Hamas to return all the Israeli hostages, its key leverage in the war.&nbsp;The work could get harder from here, however.&nbsp;Israel and Hamas remain sharply divided over many aspects of Trump&#39;s 20-point plan, and, as Israel prepares for next year&#39;s elections, Netanyahu&#39;s approach may shift as he attempts to keep his right-wing coalition together.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re entering a political year where everything is related to campaigns, and Netanyahu&#39;s calculations may flip from caving to pressure to trying to ensure his political survival,&quot; said Nimrod Goren, the president of Mitvim, an Israeli foreign policy think tank.&nbsp;The strength of Trump&#39;s peace plan, said the diplomats and analysts, is also its weakness.&nbsp;The document at the heart of the deal leaves much undefined, and neither side actually agreed to the fine print of each term. That vagueness was key to getting both sides to sign on, but it also means some of the most difficult diplomatic work is just beginning.&nbsp;Among the potential sticking points of Trump&#39;s peace plan is an agreement that Hamas disarm and play no role in Gaza&#39;s future administration. While Hamas agreed to Trump&#39;s plan generally, the group&#39;s official response made no mention of those specific terms, and Hamas leaders have indicated that they do, in fact, see a role for themselves in governing a post-war Gaza.&nbsp;&quot;There are any number of ways this could go sideways,&quot; said Jon Alterman, a Middle East expert at Washington&#39;s Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former State Department official.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s hard to remember an international agreement that left so much to be worked out later.&quot;&nbsp;The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;A senior US official suggested that Trump had gained influence with Netanyahu in part by strongly supporting Israel on other important matters.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s first administration formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the disputed Golan Heights as part of the country, two things long sought by the Israeli government.&nbsp;&quot;One thing President Trump&#39;s done with Israel ... is that he&#39;s not trying to be a middle-of-the-roader,&quot; the US official said. &quot;He&#39;s basically stood shoulder to shoulder with Israel 100%. But because of that, he&#39;s been able to help guide them in the right direction.&quot;&nbsp;A sterner TrumpTrump has a mixed record when it comes to applying political pressure on Netanyahu.&nbsp;In July, Israel bombed the Syrian defense ministry in Damascus even as the US had made a point of expanding ties with the new Syrian government. The US president gave political cover in Gaza to Netanyahu for months amid mounting humanitarian concerns among European and Arab allies.&nbsp;But in recent weeks, a sterner Trump has emerged. He forced Netanyahu to call the leader of Qatar to apologize after a failed bombing raid targeting Hamas negotiators in that country in September. Ultimately, he muscled Netanyahu into signing onto his 20-point plan despite the Israeli leader&#39;s misgivings.&nbsp;At the moment, said Alterman, the Middle East expert, Trump can likely exert leverage over Netanyahu given the US president&#39;s significant popularity in Israel.&nbsp;&quot;Trump&#39;s greatest leverage is he&#39;s much more politically popular in Israel than Netanyahu,&quot; Alterman said, &quot;and he can either support Netanyahu&#39;s political future or sabotage it.&quot;&nbsp;At the speech before the Israeli parliament on Monday, Trump playfully poked at the Israeli leader in ways that indicated he did not feel the need to treat Netanyahu with special deference.&nbsp;&quot;Well, see, now you can be a little bit nicer, Bibi, because you&#39;re not at war anymore,&quot; Trump said to laughs.&nbsp;But next year&#39;s elections could change Netanyahu&#39;s political calculations in ways that are difficult to predict.&nbsp;Supporters of right-wing politicians Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich could, in theory, threaten Netanyahu&#39;s governing coalition if they are sufficiently angered by the decision to halt military operations against Hamas.&nbsp;Analysts warn that foot-dragging by the Palestinian group over disarming could lead right-wing elements of the coalition to pressure Netanyahu to resume military operations in Gaza, effectively scuttling Trump&#39;s deal.&nbsp;&quot;We are troubled with the fact that Hamas still, today, declares it will stay in power in Gaza,&quot; Simcha Rothman, a member of the Religious Zionism party and of Netanyahu&#39;s governing coalition, told Reuters on Monday.&nbsp;&quot;We are not happy with any deal that is not a total surrender of Hamas ... We will not accept any partial victory.&quot;&nbsp;Another issue that could prove an irritant: a provision in the peace plan that admits the possibility of a future Palestinian state, which analysts say most Israelis would struggle to accept after Hamas&#39; cross-border attack of October 7, 2023.&nbsp;Dan Shapiro, a former US ambassador to Israel, said that if government and opposition politicians&#39; campaign heavily against the creation of such a state, it could limit the willingness of Arab countries to push Hamas to fulfill its obligations under Trump&#39;s deal.&nbsp;&quot;That was a very important inclusion to get the support of the Arab states to do their part,&quot; Shapiro said.&nbsp;&quot;If the political discourse is a full-on rejection of a Palestinian state for all time, I think that could color the enthusiasm of the Arab parties to play the parts that they need to play.&quot;

Secures a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, but analysts warn that vague terms, Netanyahu's political pressures, and Hamas' disarmament could jeopardize lasting peace.

Trump convinced Netanyahu to take a deal. Can he keep him onboard?

TEL AVIV: US President Donald Trump has said that several Middle Eastern nations were interested in joining the Abraham Accords &ldquo;Those who have joined the accords so far have done unbelievably well, &quot; Trump said in a speech to the Israeli Knesset on Monday.&nbsp;&nbsp; He praised the Abraham Accords as exceeding expectations, with continued interest from additional countries, though he did not name them, only hinting that &ldquo;many of these countries will be in Egypt&rdquo;. He also criticized former US presidents Obama and Biden for inaction while praising his own administration&rsquo;s successes in strengthening ties between Israel and Arab nations. He spoke of transforming the land into a thriving region and declared the potential era of peace for the Middle East. Trump calls for Iran denuclearization He warned that Iran was two months away from acquiring nuclear weapons, justifying the June 2025 strikes on Iranian nuclear sites by US B-2 Spirit stealth bombers. Trump said he was aiming for a peace deal with Iran. &ldquo;They got it from one side, from the other, and you know it would be great if we could make a peace deal with them,&rdquo; he told Israel&rsquo;s parliament. &ldquo;Would you be happy with that? Wouldn&#39;t it be nice, I think. Because I think they want to&rdquo;, he said. Trump added that any agreement depends on Iran&rsquo;s willingness. &ldquo;We&#39;re ready when you are,&rdquo; he said. He defended his decision to end the Iran nuclear deal, calling it a move he was &ldquo;very proud&rdquo; of. &ldquo;Yet even to Iran, whose regime has inflicted so much death on the Middle East, the hand of friendship and cooperation is open,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They want to make a deal, and we&#39;re going to see if we can do something.&rdquo; He stated that neither the United States nor Israel bore hostility toward the Iranian people, saying, &ldquo;We merely want to live in peace.&rdquo; Trump also criticized former presidents Obama and Biden for their Middle East policies, claiming they did not support Israel as strongly. He said Obama &ldquo;chose Iran over lots of good countries, especially Israel,&rdquo; and called the Iran nuclear deal &ldquo;a disaster,&rdquo; despite Netanyahu&rsquo;s efforts to prevent it. Disarming regional threats Trump announced that the &ldquo;dagger of Hezbollah&rdquo; has been shattered and pledged his administration&rsquo;s support for Lebanon&rsquo;s president in disarming Hezbollah. He called the recent ceasefire &quot;the most challenging breakthrough in the world,&quot; highlighting scenes of people dancing in the streets to celebrate peace. He described the current moment as historic, marking the end of a long, difficult road spanning centuries, with regional support for the plan, Hezbollah demilitarized, and Hamas disarmed. Vision for a &ldquo;peaceful&rdquo; Middle East Trump said Israel, with US help, has achieved all military objectives, and it is now time for peace and prosperity in the Middle East. He praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (&ldquo;Bibi&rdquo;) as &ldquo;a nice man&rdquo; and urged Middle Eastern leaders to fully embrace the peace plan. He said that antisemitism and support for terrorism that endured for decades have come to an end. Call for Palestinian reform Trump urged Palestinians to expel &ldquo;wicked forces&rdquo; and focus on rebuilding after tremendous death and pain. He outlined plans for the stability and economic development of Gaza, mentioning the formation of the &ldquo;Board of Peace&rdquo; to oversee reconstruction. Wealthy ME nations reportedly commit to Gaza rebuilding He thanked wealthy Arab and Muslim countries committing significant funds to Gaza&rsquo;s rebuilding and noted upcoming meetings in Egypt with these countries. However, he was careful not to name them. &ldquo;I wanna thank Arab and Muslim countries for their support, they are wealthy countries, we will put up tremendous amount of money, we will build Gaza. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t wanna say who they are but what they are doing is, they wanna see the good, the good for Israel. [And] the kind money they have, for these countries its relatively little compared to their worth&rdquo;. Promoting partnership Trump said regional countries should be partners, not enemies, and stand together against &ldquo;forces of chaos&rdquo;. Trump called for building a future focusing on innovation, medicine, and AI instead of weapons. Praise for Israel&rsquo;s strength and heritage Trump expressed strong support for Israel, calling it a strong nation that will endure forever. &ldquo;The state of Israel is strong, it will live forever&rdquo;. He stated that the US has always supported Israel since its inception due to &ldquo;sharing similar values&rdquo; with the US. He hailed &ldquo;Israel&rsquo;s military&rdquo; and &ldquo;innovative economy&rdquo;, calling Jerusalem the &ldquo;ancient capital&rdquo; of the occupying regime. He also talked about the region&#39;s significance for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He described the coexistence of people of all faiths in the sacred land as a &ldquo;modern miracle&rdquo;. Trump urges pardon for Netanyahu The US President told the Israeli parliament that Netanyahu, facing trial in three corruption cases, should be &lsquo;pardoned.&rsquo; He dismissed allegations of accepting luxury gifts worth over $260,000 as trivial, calling Netanyahu one of Israel&rsquo;s greatest wartime leaders. Addressing Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Trump suggested granting Netanyahu a pardon, adding he personally supports the prime minister. Legacy of &lsquo;peace&rsquo;, &lsquo;hope&rsquo;, and &lsquo;prosperity&rsquo; Trump promised to build a legacy across the region&mdash;from the Middle East, to India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan&mdash;of hope and prosperity. He called the Middle East the geographic center of the world and expressed his vision for Israel, the US, and Middle Eastern nations to become stronger and more prosperous together. Russian peace deal Trump was positive about securing a peace deal involving Russia and Ukraine following his success with securing a Gaza ceasefire. He expressed confidence that it will be achieved soon. &ldquo;We will get it done&rdquo;, he stated. The speech was delivered amid the backdrop of a recent Gaza ceasefire, the return of hostages, and ongoing peace negotiations. The conservative president&rsquo;s remarks were met with applause in the Knesset. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/bcab3a6a-96d8-4d47-9c18-5ff701ff8488-AP25286460826624 (1).jpg" alt="Jared Kushner, acknowledges applause at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem, Monday, October 13, 2025. (AP)" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Jared Kushner acknowledges applause at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem, Monday, October 13, 2025. (AP)</figcaption> With input from the AFP.

President Donald Trump addresses the Knesset, Israel's parliament, Monday, October 13, 2025, in Jerusalem. (AP)

Americas

Asia

Trump announced Middle East peace progress, urged Iran denuclearization, praised Abraham Accords, supported Israel, called for Palestinian reform, and advocated Netanyahu’s pardon.​

Trump says more Middle Eastern nations may join Abraham Accords

US president says all hostages will be released very soon, Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed-upon line; adds that all parties will be treated fairly.

Israel and Hamas have agreed to first phase of peace plan: Trump 

ISLAMABAD: Qatar announced on Thursday that a full agreement between Israel and Hamas has been reached regarding the &quot;first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.&quot; &quot;The mediators announce that tonight an agreement was reached on all the provisions and implementation mechanisms of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which will lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid.&quot;&nbsp; Dr Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, said in a social media post, as&nbsp;reported by the state-run Qatar News Agency.&nbsp; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1976058667645440032&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=c46136357c6d53ddd2e07518be38f10515abb71c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 479px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&quot;The details will be announced later,&quot; the Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs added.

Includes implementation mechanisms for ending the war, release of hostages and prisoners, and allowing entry of aid into Gaza.

Qatar announces full agreement reached on 'first phase of Gaza ceasefire agreement' 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has hailed US President Donald Trump for the agreement&nbsp;that took place between Israel and Hamas on Thursday&nbsp;on a pause in fighting and prisoners&rsquo; exchange. The US president announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the &ldquo;first phase&rdquo; of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners, in a major breakthrough in the two-year-old war, AP reported. The Pakistani prime minister, in a post shared on X, stated that the announcement of the agreement that will bring an end to the genocide in Gaza is &ldquo;a historic opportunity&rdquo; to secure lasting peace in the Middle East. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1976139811372126566&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=c46136357c6d53ddd2e07518be38f10515abb71c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 368px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Appreciating the US president&rsquo;s role in the peace effort, the Pakistani prime minister said that President Trump&rsquo;s leadership throughout the dialogue and negotiation process reflects his unwavering commitment to world peace. Arab, Muslim leaders lauded&nbsp;Sharif also lauded the efforts of Arab and Muslim leaders for their role in the negotiations towards bringing an end to the conflict that has claimed thousands of lives. &nbsp; He said, &ldquo;The resolute and wise leaders of Qatar, Egypt, and Turkiye are also to be applauded for their untiring efforts to negotiate a deal.&rdquo; The Pakistani prime minister, stressing the need for a permanent end to the conflict, said that &ldquo;we must all pay tribute to the Palestinian people, who have suffered in an unprecedented manner, one that should never, ever be repeated.&rdquo; Provocations at Al Aqsa condemned&nbsp;On Wednesday, Israel&#39;s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, visited the Al-Aqsa compound in occupied East Jerusalem, which is home to Islam&#39;s third-holiest site. The Pakistani premier, while condemning the visit, said, &ldquo;I also note with grave concern, and strongly condemn, the recent provocations at Masjid Al Aqsa.&rdquo; &ldquo;The world must hold the occupiers and illegal settlers to account and prevent any further actions that undermine the enormous efforts made by President Trump to reduce tensions and pave the way for lasting peace,&rdquo; he stressed. &nbsp; Partner in peace &nbsp;Sharif further said that Pakistan would continue to work with partners, friends, and the leaders of brotherly nations to ensure that peace, security, and dignity for the Palestinian people were established in accordance with their wishes and UN resolutions. Foreign minister lauds TrumpPakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in his post on X welcome the agreement on the first phase of the plan.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1976157925421858922&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=c46136357c6d53ddd2e07518be38f10515abb71c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 368px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>He said that &ldquo;Pakistan welcomes the agreement on the first phase of the Plan, including an immediate ceasefire, release of hostages and prisoners, and unhindered humanitarian aid to Gaza.&rdquo; Principled support reaffirmed&nbsp; The foreign minister, while appreciating the efforts of the US president, and Arab and Muslim leaders, said: &ldquo;We commend President Trump, and Qatar, Egypt, and T&uuml;rkiye for their efforts.&rdquo; Dar said, &ldquo;We hope this will lead to a permanent ceasefire and lasting peace.&rdquo; He said, &ldquo;Pakistan reaffirms its principled support for an independent State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.&rdquo;

The Pakistani premier praises President Trump and Arab leaders for brokering a fighting pause and prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, calling it 'a historic step' toward peace; condemns provocations at Al-Aqsa compound.

Articles tagged with "Gaza peace deal"