Trump's Unexpected Triumph: A Gaza Deal Where Biden Failed

Sat Oct 18 2025 00:47:08 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a startling diplomatic achievement, Donald Trump has brokered a deal to end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages, a breakthrough that has eluded Joe Biden's administration. This article explores the factors leading to Trump's success in this effort.

Donald Trump has achieved a significant breakthrough in Gaza by securing a deal for the release of hostages, marking a success in diplomacy that surpasses the efforts of the Biden administration. The article details the relationships and pressures that enabled Trump to negotiate effectively with Israeli and Arab leaders.

Trump's Unexpected Triumph: A Gaza Deal Where Biden Failed

At the time, Israel's air strike against the Hamas negotiating team in Qatar seemed like yet another escalation that pushed the prospect of peace further away. The attack on 9 September violated the sovereignty of an American ally and risked expanding the conflict into a region-wide war. Diplomacy appeared to be in ruins.

Instead it turned out to be a key moment that has led to a deal, announced by President Donald Trump, to release all remaining hostages. This is a goal that he, and President Joe Biden before him, had sought for nearly two years.

It is just the first step towards a more durable peace, and the details of Hamas disarmament, Gaza governance and full Israeli withdrawal remain to be negotiated. But if this agreement holds, it could be Trump's signature achievement of his second term - one that eluded Biden and his diplomatic team.

A close relationship that Biden never had

In public, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are all smiles. Trump likes to say that Israel has no better friend, and Netanyahu has described Trump as Israel's 'greatest ever ally in the White House'. These warm words have been matched by actions.

During his first presidential term, Trump moved the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and abandoned a long-held US position that Israeli settlements in the Palestinian West Bank are illegal.

When Israel began its air strikes against Iran, Trump ordered US bombers to target the nation's nuclear enrichment facilities with its most powerful conventional bombs.

Business history helped secure Gulf's backing

The Israeli missile attack in Doha, which killed a Qatari citizen but no Hamas officials, prompted Trump to issue an ultimatum to Netanyahu: the war had to stop.

Trump had given Israel a relatively free hand in Gaza but an attack on Qatar soil moved him towards the Arab position on how best to end the war. Several Trump officials have said this was a turning point that galvanized the president to exert maximum pressure for a peace deal.

Europeans exert their influence

The global condemnation of Israel over its actions in Gaza also weighed on Trump's thinking. Underneath this was a historic split between the Americans and European allies, ultimately forcing Trump to choose sides with Gulf allies.

Ultimately Trump faced an alliance of European-Arab interests that differed from Israeli nationalists. His tactics, which included unprecedented pressure on Netanyahu, have been crucial in reaching this point.

Trump's unique style unlocked stalemate

Trump's unorthodox approach has proven effective in ways conventional strategies have not. His administration's success in engaging with both Israel and Arab nations, culminating in a peace deal, is a prime example of this diplomatic maneuvering.

Now Israel has committed to releasing more than 1,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons and has agreed to a partial withdrawal from Gaza. With Hamas agreeing to release all remaining hostages, an end to the war appears closer than ever.