QUESTIONS ASKED: Can the Gaza peace plan hold and what’s next for the Middle East?

The ceasefire and the release of hostages and prisoners are pivotal steps in the first stage of an ambitious peace proposal Mr Trump put forward late last month.

The halt in fighting and the releases have been met with widespread relief on both sides.

But whether this becomes a permanent truce will depend on progress on the rest of the US president’s peace plan, which requires Israeli troops to withdraw, and for Gaza to become a “de-radicalised terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbours”.

Aid has already started flowing into the territory, which will be rebuilt and be governed by a temporary “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” supervised by an international committee. Hamas will not play a role.

Only the very earliest parts of this are already happening.

Ahead of the release of the hostages, Israeli troops have already withdrawn to an agreed line that has left them in control of 53 per cent of Gaza.

A multinational force of around 200 troops overseen by the US military will monitor the ceasefire, according to a senior US official. It is believed the force includes troops from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Jim Geraghty dubs today, “The Greatest Day of Trump’s Second Term So Far,” but concludes, “Think Hamas is going to go gently into that good night? Heck, if Trump can make that happen, give him two Nobel Peace Prizes next year.”