TWO years ago I stood next to a pool of blood in a kibbutz village as Hamas rockets filled the air and Israeli warjets blitzed the Gaza skyline.
Israel’s thirst for revenge was palpable after 1,200 innocents were slaughtered and 251 dragged to the terror tunnels of Gaza by terrorist savages.
APIsraelis celebrate the return of the hostages held captive by Hamas terrorists in Gaza[/caption]
GettyBenjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump celebrate the ceasefire as they meet in Israel[/caption]
Hate filled the air amid talk of merciless revenge among Jews on the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
And Hamas leaders emboldened by their “victory” spread their venom across the powder keg region by crowing that the October 7 horror was “just the start”.
It seemed in those dark days that peace in the Middle East was more of an impossible dream than ever.
And I’ve since flown to Israel eight times to watch a full-blown regional war erupt between the embattled Jewish state’s enemies in Lebanon, Iran and Yemen.
Exactly two years since that day in the smashed kibbutz at Be’eri, I found myself standing in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv yesterday amid scenes of joyous celebration as the last 20 hostages walked free.
And for the first time I found myself believing that — perhaps years from now — the impossible dream might come true.
Donald Trump delivered the groundbreaking first stage of an accord that has eluded past US presidents for generations by ripping up the diplomacy rule book.
He encouraged, cajoled, bullied and bulldozed all sides, praising Israel’s strongman prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly while pushing him into major concessions privately.
And he drafted in key wingmen who shared his real estate deal-making skills.
Trump’s Middle East envoy, property tycoon Steve Witkoff, 68, took centre stage working behind the scenes to lay the foundation of the deal in talks with Israel and Arab leaders.
The key deal clincher has since emerged as Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, husband of the president’s daughter Ivanka.
The couple were saluted alongside Witkoff in Hostages Square and amid thunderous applause in Israel’s Knesset parliament yesterday.
But recent interviews have revealed how 44-year-old “bare-knuckle” New York real-estate bruiser Kushner sealed the historic accord — by treating it just like another property deal.
Kushner said: “The experience that Steve and I have as deal guys is that you have to understand people.
“You have to be able to kind of get the bottom line out of them, and then see who you think is playing games, and how much room do you have to push things?
Timing and courage were also crucial in getting Team Trump’s 20-point deal over the line.
Trump strongarmed Hamas by warning he would allow Israel to unleash ‘all hell’ if they refused to back down
September 9 was a turning point when Israel almost wrecked hopes of a ceasefire by attempting an air strike assassination of Hamas negotiators in Qatar.
It was an attack in a sovereign state allied to the US which outraged Trump’s Qatari allies and appeared to leave hopes of diplomacy in ruins.
But Trump chose this as his moment to turn the tables completely on Netanyahu and tell him bluntly: “The war ends now.”
Once unthinkable coalition
As Israel’s vital supplier of high-tech arms and munitions, the president knew he had crucial leverage.
And he strongarmed Hamas by warning he would allow Israel to unleash “all hell” if they refused to back down.
Witkoff and Kushner were then dispatched on trips around the Middle East pulling in the support of Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
Insiders said that Trump’s envoys adopted tactics whereby Witkoff would lay out plans, while Kushner would weigh in with power plays delivered in Trump’s uncompromising style.
And their mission succeeded in pulling together a once-unthinkable coalition of Arab and Muslim states applying pressure to Hamas to effectively surrender.
The crunch came as Trump announced his 20-point plan last month following another round of arm twisting, this time applied to Netanyahu.
Israeli strongman “Bibi” was obliged to publicly apologise to the Emir or Qatar for the September 9 attack in return for support for Trump’s deal as the smiling president watched on.
This major concession paved the way for yesterday’s stunning breakthrough as all 20 hostages walked free.
But as happy crowds filed away from Hostages Square last night and Trump is cheered to the rafters in Israel’s Knesset parliament, a note of caution is vital.
The crunch came as Trump announced his 20-point plan last month following another round of arm twisting, this time applied to Netanyahu
I’ve been covering the Middle East’s seemingly endless bloodshed and turmoil for 30 years and treacly Trump optimism and talk of hope alone will not win peace.
Hamas had yet to disarm or relinquish control of Gaza and were back on the streets with their AK47s yesterday – despite promises to step away from ruling the 25 miles strip.
Trump’s plan to create a “Board of Peace” led by Sir Tony Blair to run Gaza before peace-loving Palestinians take over is already on shaky ground.
Even more moderate Palestinians revile the former Labour leader for presiding over Britain’s 2003 Iraq war and reject even temporary “colonial-style” rule.
And the US president may yet struggle to rein back Netanyahu if a single rocket flies from Gaza to Israel now Hamas have lost their hostage trump card.
Netanyahu and his backers must also be convinced to accept the peace plan’s “aspiration” that Israelis and Palestinians should live side-by-side in two states.
But most important of all, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians returning to a blitzed moonscape left by the war must be given hope.
More than 67,000 people died in this hell, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and their shattered communities will take decades to rebuild.
The gathering of 30 world leaders including Trump, Sir Keir Starmer and both Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Egypt yesterday showed willing.
But without a continuing effort from Western nations and billions in investment, there will be no “peace dividend”.
And I’ll find myself on a plane again on my way to cover the same old tragic story.
Doug SeeburgThe Sun’s Nick Parker in Be’eri in 2023[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
