Sources confirmed Sunday that the Trump administration’s much-publicized Gaza ceasefire, once touted by the president as a “historic breakthrough,” is already showing signs of collapse, leaving Americans largely unsurprised that something Trump declared a victory may not have been one.
The historic peace deal, which Trump announced October 8 after calling it "a big, big day, a beautiful day, potentially one of the great days ever in civilization," reportedly began showing cracks almost immediately after world leaders finished signing it at an Egyptian summit Monday.
"We're quite surprised," said State Department spokesperson Linda Harrison, apparently unaware that a conflict involving parties who have been at war for over two years might require more than 144 hours to resolve permanently. "The president personally guaranteed this would work, and he even got his son-in-law involved. What more could possibly be needed?"
The ceasefire, which Trump described as a major diplomatic achievement that would cement his legacy, featured a twenty-point plan that both Israel and Hamas accepted with what observers described as "suspiciously vague commitments to future negotiations." The agreement required Hamas to release all hostages within 72 hours, Israel to withdraw to predetermined lines, and both parties to somehow overcome decades of animosity through the power of Trump's dealmaking prowess.
By Tuesday, Israeli forces had killed at least seven Palestinians who crossed what Israel calls the "Yellow Line"—a boundary that leaves Israel controlling 58 percent of Gaza—while Israel accused Hamas of slow-walking the return of deceased hostages' bodies, many of which remain buried under 50 million tons of rubble from Israeli bombardment. On Sunday, clashes erupted when Hamas militants allegedly fired on Israeli troops in Rafah, prompting Israel to launch over 100 airstrikes that killed at least 23 Palestinians.
"Obviously we knew there would be minor hiccups," explained senior Trump adviser Mitchell Reynolds, referring to the immediate resumption of lethal violence. "But we're confident the next phase will be much smoother once we resolve the outstanding issues of Hamas disarmament, permanent Israeli withdrawal, Gaza governance, Palestinian statehood, and the entire Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
The Trump administration has announced it will "significantly increase its control" over implementing the peace deal to prevent it from collapsing, a strategy Trump officials insist is totally different from the deal already collapsing.
