The Gaza agreement signals hope for some while caution for others

On Monday, October 13, 2025, US President Donald Trump not only made headlines, but rather history.

Landing in Israel and addressing its Knesset amid the completion of the first phase of the Gaza Peace Deal, he then co-chaired the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharam el-Sheikh in Egypt to support the ceasefire reached in Gaza, end the Gaza War and develop a long-term vision to rebuild the devastated Palestinian strip. Trump declared “peace in the Middle East” and signed, along with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the “Trump Declaration on Enduring Peace and Prosperity”, as the guarantors of a Gaza deal aimed at ending 2 years of war.

While many hailed these efforts and milestones and expressed their optimism, others were more skeptical and cautious.

Optimism for Gaza Peace Deal

The first to express joy and relief for the deal were the Palestinian themselves. After a devastating war that had engulfed the Gaza Strip for 2 years, Palestinians have signaled their optimism that peace could finally be at hand. Their jubilation stems not only from the silencing of guns, but also the release of around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held captive in Israeli jails. The latter will return to their homeland and families, which brings some relief to a region that has witnessed the loss of over 60,000 of its population. Large crowds greeted the freed prisoners in Beitunia in the West Bank and in Khan Younis in Gaza. Following the war, Palestinians are set to recover financially as well as politically. Their efforts and attention will be centered on reconstruction (with the economic and financial impacts that it encompasses) and establishing a credible and effective Palestinian political authority (although the latter remains vague and divisive between competing factions, ideologies and agendas).

Arab leaders have also hailed the deal and Trump’s efforts to broker this promising ceasefire. During the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi boasted the US President as the “only one” who could bring peace to the region. The aforementioned leaders believe that the prospects for the durability and sustainability of the deal, as well as potential peace and stability in the Middle East, are serious and promising. This was expressed plainly by the Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, affirming that “today, the general atmosphere is one of compromise”, while adding that “we cannot be outside the current path in the region, which is the path of crisis resolution” and that it is “no longer possible to tolerate more war, destruction, killing, and displacement.” Prior to the war in 2023, the region was on track for normalization with Israel following the 2020 Abraham Accords. Saudi Arabia and Israel had come a long way in the negotiations and an agreement between both sides seemed eminent. Despite their halt during the Gaza War, there seems today a possibility to revive such talks given the economic, political and security considerations that regional powers have in mind (although with greater sensitivity and affirmation towards establishing an independent and viable Palestinian state).

On the international sphere, the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen voiced the bloc’s full support for the Gaza peace plan, and its willingness “to contribute to its success with all tools at our disposal,” including reconstruction efforts in Gaza. Similarly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope for peace in Gaza to be extended to Ukraine, claiming that “when peace is achieved for one part of the world, it brings more hope for peace in other regions.” Interestingly as well, former US President Joe Biden praised Trump and his team’s efforts regarding the comprehensive ceasefire agreement, acknowledging that “the Middle East is on the path to peace that I hope will last, and a future for Israelis and Palestinians alike, where everyone enjoys equal levels of peace, dignity, and security.” The international community, especially the US and some European countries, have suffered immensely from constant protests (most notably in university campuses) against their policies towards the Gaza War. The current ceasefire will surely ease tensions and dissent.

Caution and skepticism regarding the Gaza Peace Deal

Among the few nations that fell short of expressing their optimism for the Gaza peace deal were both Iran and Russia.

The former, which cautiously supported the ceasefire, remained skeptical of “the deceit and bad-faith actions of the Zionist regime.” It also believed that ending the war does not relieve governments and international institutions from their duties of holding Israeli officials and military personnel responsible for their alleged “war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.” Iran, which is still bound on continuous confrontation with Israel and backing its weakened proxies in the region, has opposed normalizing its relations with Israel. It has, on numerous occasions, rejected US President Donald Trump’s remarks that Tehran might possibly join the Abraham Accords, claiming the latter to be “treacherous” and not in “alignment with our ideals and will never happen.”

As for the latter, President Vladimir Putin said last week that Russia was ready to help peace efforts. However, its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized Trump’s plan for only dealing with Gaza, while excluding any mentioning of the West Bank. For Moscow, the plan thus remains “too vague” and falls short on Palestinian statehood.

As for Israel, it remains extremely divided on the matter. While many, including hostage families, were pleased to hear a ceasefire was reached, many on the far-right sounding their dissatisfaction. Even in last week’s cabinet vote, far-right ministers (National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich) voted against the Gaza peace deal, opposing the “releasing murderers” and the continuation of “Hamas’s rule in Gaza” (explicitly or implicitly.” Settler movements have even been disappointed that the plan would include IDF withdrawal from the Strip, as they intended to pressure government to resettle in the region that they were forcibly evicted from since PM Ariel Sharon’s “Disengagement Plan” in 2005 (which saw Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza and its dismantling of all Israeli settlements in the territory).