Trump Weighs Middle East Visit, Hails Hostage Deal as Key Achievement
On the 21st of January, 2025, The US President Donald Trump revealed that he is contemplating a visit to the Middle East, though he clarified that the trip wouldn’t happen immediately.
In a conversation with reporters on his second day in office, Trump praised his administration for playing a pivotal role in brokering a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement between Israel and Hamas, which went into effect on the 19th of January, 2025.
“We’re thinking about going to the Middle East — not yet,” Trump remarked, proudly highlighting a significant achievement of his tenure: “We have a thing called ‘the hostages are coming back’ going on right now.”
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, confirmed that plans are underway for a visit to Gaza to oversee the execution of the three-phase accord.
This agreement has been hailed by Arab diplomats as a result of intense, last-minute negotiations led by Trump and Witkoff in Qatar and Israel, which allegedly pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to finalize the deal.
The accord’s first phase includes a temporary ceasefire, the release of 33 Israeli hostages, and the freeing of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The process began on the 19th of January, 2025, with the release of three Israeli hostages.
Trump emphasized the importance of his January 20 inauguration deadline in securing the deal.
“If I weren’t here, they wouldn’t be back ever,” he asserted, contrasting his administration’s efforts with those of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
The president also touched on the condition of some of the released hostages, mentioning Emily Damari, who was freed on the 19th of January, but had suffered injuries during the October 7 Hamas attack.
On the 20th of January, 2025, Trump signed an executive order reversing sanctions imposed by the Biden administration on Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
Additionally, he signaled a desire to pursue a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, though he acknowledged such a deal would require significant concessions to the Palestinians.
While Trump took credit for the ceasefire and hostage deal, he recognized the ongoing challenges ahead. Ninety-one hostages, including 34 confirmed dead, remain in Gaza, and his efforts to stabilize the region will likely face scrutiny as negotiations unfold in the coming weeks.