Trump says Gaza ceasefire will open door to wider Middle East peace
US President Donald Trump said the newly approved Gaza ceasefire agreement could mark the beginning of a broader peace process
WASHINGTON, United States (MNTV) – US President Donald Trump said the newly approved Gaza ceasefire agreement could mark the beginning of a broader peace process across the Middle East, including potential engagement with Iran.
Speaking in a Fox News interview on Wednesday, Trump disclosed that his administration has been holding “very good conversations” with Iranian officials about an unspecified agreement, even after he authorized military strikes on Tehran’s nuclear program in June.
He defended the strikes by saying Iran was “one or two months away” from developing a nuclear weapon and that stopping it was necessary to make the Gaza deal possible. “It seems like everything’s at a different scale now,” Trump said, expressing optimism that Iran could join future regional peace efforts.
The US president confirmed that the first phase of his Gaza peace plan will begin Monday, when hostage releases are set to start. “All of the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed line as the first steps toward a strong, durable, and everlasting peace,” he said, promising that all sides would be “treated fairly.”
The ceasefire marks the first phase of Trump’s 20-point peace proposal, which calls for a permanent truce, a prisoner exchange, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The plan also envisions Gaza’s reconstruction with funding from Arab and Islamic countries and the formation of a new administration excluding Hamas.
Trump reiterated that wealthy regional states would play a key role in rebuilding the enclave. “They have tremendous amounts of wealth, and they want to see Gaza rebuilt,” he said.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Trump said he hopes the ceasefire will not only end the war but also lead to “a new era of peace in the Middle East.”
He also confirmed he is considering traveling to Egypt later this week after a scheduled visit to Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday.
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