Donald Trump has declared an end to the war in Gaza. The question is whether he can stay focused long enough to enforce it, writes our Deputy Foreign Editor in Tel Aviv.
Politicians expend extraordinary energy on framing for a simple reason: the story you tell about what you've done matters just as much as what you’ve actually done - and sometimes more.
It’s why Benjamin Netanyahu has been at pains to describe the deal struck between Israel and Hamas as a hostage deal, rather than one that ends the war in Gaza.
The same was true of January’s ceasefire - to the extent that the word "ceasefire" was barely even used in the country. It was always described as a hostage deal.
This isn’t purely cynical positioning. For many Israelis, the hostages genuinely are the primary concern - a national trauma that’s lasted for more than two years.
The first person I stopped to talk to in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv last night said the last time she had taken a deep breath was over two years ago.
"Since then, it’s been like a nightmare that has never ended. And we’re so happy [that the hostages are being released]. Nothing else matters," she said.
But, for the prime minister, the framing isn’t just about reflecting national sentiment – it’s about preserving his options.
On a technical level - and this is what observers find concerning – what’s actually been agreed is a hostage-for-prisoner release alongside a partial Israeli military withdrawal. Nothing more.
Yes, Donald Trump’s 20-point plan conceives of a comprehensive deal to stop the war and institute a wider "peace in the Middle East" - but the first phase of the deal doesn’t outline how any of that will be brought about. Further negotiations will have to be had.
And, as much as both sides have talked around the issues over the past two years, the key sticking point has always been about whether a deal would bring about a permanent end to the war.
Hamas was only ever willing to give up the hostages if that permanent end was guaranteed, while the Israeli government was only ever willing to sign up to a deal if it gave them enough wiggle room to return to fighting.
As you might imagine, it’s been close to impossible to come up with language that satisfies both parties.
But where Donald Trump has succeeded and Joe Biden failed is in persuading Hamas that he’ll enforce the deal - that he’ll stop Mr Netanyahu from restarting the war once the hostages are home.
You can see evidence of this commitment in the text itself, even if the words chosen aren’t binding in themselves.
'Comprehensive End of Gaza War'
Firstly, the agreement is titled "Implementation Steps for President Trump's proposal for a 'Comprehensive End of Gaza War'".
And the first point of those implementation steps is "President Trump announces the end to the war in the Gaza strip".
Binding or not, you can see where Donald Trump’s head is at.
And, when he visits Israel tomorrow to address the Knesset, the country’s parliament, he will be here to take credit, not for a one-page document about implementation steps, but for ending the war.
This, he wants everyone to know, is the Trump Peace Plan, and not any other Middle East agreement.
Mr Trump doesn't exactly do subtlety. When he stands before the Knesset tomorrow, he’ll be declaring victory - and announcing that the war is over.
And that’s not just ceremony. It’s a statement that will make it extraordinarily difficult for Mr Netanyahu to restart this war, even if he wants to.
After all, Mr Trump also understands that the narrative about what you’ve achieved matters just as much as what you’ve actually achieved.
But others had begun to suspect that the prime minister was searching for a way to wind down the Gaza offensive anyway, especially as Israel enters an election year.
With a vote due by October 2026 at the latest, the never-ending war has done little to boost his popularity. Yes, it’s kept him in power - because his far-right and ultranationalist coalition partners demand it.
But keeping your coalition happy and winning an election are two different things. At some point, he was going to need an exit strategy.
Donald Trump’s deal has given him one. It may not be the total victory he wanted, but it is an off-ramp nonetheless.
The question is whether the US president can stay focused on Gaza when there’s always another headline to chase.
Mr Trump will need to apply continual pressure. If he does - if he's willing to keep insisting the war is over, month after month - then this deal likely holds.
As I wrote in February about the last ceasefire, if this one endures, it will be because Donald Trump demands it.
If he keeps telling the world this war is finished, then Mr Netanyahu may find it impossible to prove him wrong.
