If war ends in Gaza, Donald Trump will rightly be able to claim a great victory
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His threat of ‘all hell breaking loose’ has concentrated minds – but no one should underestimate the pressure on Netanyahu to scupper it. Copy link. twitter. facebook. whatsapp. Israel and Hamas are once again reported to be on the brink of ceasefire and hostage exchange.
It may come to nothing, of course, but if a deal is done over the next few days, credit for getting it over the line should go to Donald Trump. His warning of “all hell breaking loose” if an agreement was not reached by the time of his inauguration has concentrated minds across the region, particularly in the Israeli government and wider defence establishment.
Mr Trump’s detractors characterise him a dotard and perhaps, like Biden, he is, but his unpredictability and ambiguity are – for the moment at least – packing real punch. Could Iran’s nuclear facilities be taken out if Tehran fails to bring its proxies in Gaza to heel? Yes, they could.
Might Hamas’s political leaders be killed in their beds in Qatar and Turkey if the terrorist group continues to hold hostages past the January 20 deadline? Absolutely. And could Israel find itself out in the cold and subject to a US arms embargo if it fails to step up? Yes again – because with Mr Trump in the White House anything is possible.
