Trump’s Approach Just Might End the War in Gaza but the Next Stage Is Harder

Lasting agreements require sustained focus, not just theatrics.

People gather to protest while holding Israeli and U.S. flags and banners. One banner reads "President Trump, stop the war! The mothers of Israel are behind you." October 6, 2025, 1:20 PM Comment icon View Comments ( )

Middle East Crisis

News, analysis, and background.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

On Oct. 7, 2023, I was serving as the U.S. State Department’s lead official working to expand the Abraham Accords—a set of normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab countries. As the magnitude of the Hamas’s attack on Israel that day became clear, it was obvious that work would have to be paused.

In the early days of the Israel-Hamas wa

See Full Page