And almost 11 months after the Gaza ceasefire deal was signed, the Strip is still a tent city amongst the rubble, caught between Trump’s impatience and Benjamin Netanyahu’s need for political survival.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was dispatched to the Middle East to meet with the leadership of Hamas and then to huddle with the Israeli prime minister along with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
A spokesman for Netanyahu, who flatly rejected the 15-point Gaza peace plan last week, described the talks as "deep and constructive." But the next step still depends on Hamas agreeing to surrender its arms and Israeli troops to withdraw.
Meanwhile, Trump has apparently opened up a whole new front in his war with Iran threatening to bomb Oman if they "got in the way" of his peace talks, while Tehran has threatened to go on the offensive.
