On the local time of the 8th, Israel and Hamas reached a consensus on the first stage ceasefire agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip. If both sides formally sign the agreement, the process of exchanging hostages and withdrawing troops in stages is expected to start within 72 hours.

On the 8th (local time), US President Trump delivered a speech during a counter-terrorism roundtable meeting at the White House in Washington after receiving a memo about the imminent consensus on the ceasefire in the Gaza war [Photo source: AFP=Korea Times].

After releasing his "Gaza Peace Vision" on the 29th of last month and continuously pressuring both sides, Trump first announced the results of the agreement on social media (SNS), stating, "We are proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have agreed to join our peace plan in the first stage."

Trump: "The First Step Toward a Strong and Lasting Peace"

Trump stated on the same day regarding the dramatic agreement reached by both sides, "This is the first step toward a strong, enduring, and permanent peace," and emphasized that "all detained individuals will be released soon, and Israel will withdraw its forces to the designated border line according to the agreement."

It is currently confirmed that about 20 Israeli hostages are alive. Media outlets such as CNN reported that there may be an exchange of "Israeli hostages for 2,000 Palestinian prisoners" on the 11th or 12th. Trump himself also said in an interview with Fox that the release of the hostages "may happen on the 13th."

On the 29th (local time), US President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu shook hands after a joint press conference at the White House in Washington D.C. [Photo source: AFP=Korea Times].

The spokesperson of Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed Ansari, posted on the social platform X (formerly Twitter) that "this will lead to the end of the war, the release of hostages and prisoners, and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, among other subsequent actions. Specific details will be announced later."

As the hostage exchange proceeds, Israel is expected to partially withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Trump had previously stated on the 4th that "Israel has agreed to our proposed first-stage withdrawal plan, jointly negotiated with Hamas," and announced the specific scope of the initial withdrawal.

"Negotiations Have Seen a Breakthrough, War's End Is Near"

Since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which triggered the Gaza war, Trump has consistently urged both sides to cease fire as soon as possible. On January 15th before his official presidential inauguration, both sides had previously reached a "ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement," at which time Trump claimed "it was all my achievement," even proposing to forcibly relocate Gaza residents and transform Gaza into a "Riviera of the Middle East."

However, negotiations did not continue afterward. In mid-March, Israel resumed airstrikes, and casualties continued to increase. Especially during the period when Qatar and Egypt were mediators, Israel bombed Hamas leadership's residence in Qatar for an assassination, further worsening the situation.

Finally, on the 29th of last month, Trump invited Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to a meeting at the White House and released a peace plan containing 20 points. Afterward, he pressured Hamas, threatening, "If you do not agree to the peace vision, the gates of hell will open."

On the 8th (local time), a Palestinian refugee boy in the Deir Balah area in the central part of the Gaza Strip was filling a water bucket [Photo source: Reuters=Korea Times].

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that "the negotiation, which had been deadlocked for eight months since Trump took office, finally saw a breakthrough," and pointed out that he is close to achieving his foreign policy priority of ending the Gaza war.

"Congratulations to the Peacemakers on the Eve of the Nobel Prize Announcement"

However, The New York Times (NYT) pointed out that "it is not yet certain whether the war has truly ended," because "none of the statements from Trump, Qatar, Israel, and Hamas mentioned the issue of 'Hamas disarming,' which Israel demanded and Hamas refused."

On the 8th, US Secretary of State Rubio urgently informed President Trump during a counter-terrorism roundtable meeting at the White House in Washington that negotiations regarding the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas were about to reach an agreement [Photo source: AFP=Korea Times].

Especially, the announcement of this agreement coincided with one day left until the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump has always claimed that he is fully qualified for the Nobel Prize based on his achievements in resolving global conflicts during this period.

He also stated at a White House event against the anti-fascist movement "Antifa" that "we have ended seven wars, and the eighth is almost resolved. No one in history has solved so many problems as I have, but they (Nobel Committee) might still find reasons not to give me that award (Nobel Peace Prize)." He then announced the agreement on social media and wrote, "Congratulations to those who create peace!"

On the 8th (local time), after US President Trump announced the first stage ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the "Hostage Square" in Tel Aviv was filled with cheers and excitement [Photo source: Reuters=Korea Times].

However, the nomination deadline for the Nobel Committee this year was already on January 31st. A total of 244 individuals and 94 organizations were nominated, and the list of candidates will be made public after 50 years.

Attacking the "Opposition" During Government Shutdown, "We Will Respond More Firmly"

On the other hand, Trump continued to blame the Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown, which has lasted for 8 days, while claiming that "the left-wing terrorist threat is extremely severe," and reiterated that he would take the strongest response against what he called "radical left-wing forces" and their funding sources.

He stated at the White House-hosted "Antifa" meeting that "they are agitators and anarchists, and they get money for doing these things," "they are very threatening to people, and we will respond in a more threatening way than them."

He specifically said that those who fund Antifa "will face big trouble" and emphasized that "we will conduct a very thorough investigation into the funders."

Currently, Trump has signed an executive order designating Antifa as a terrorist organization and instructed relevant agencies to conduct investigations. The meeting was attended by Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, and others, as well as several conservative internet influencers spreading conspiracy theories.

Source: JoongAng Daily

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559410639559492147/

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