Shafaq News/ US President-elect Donald Trump aims to uphold the ceasefire in Lebanon and across the Middle East to focus on domestic issues in the United States, Israeli media reported on Monday.
Syria and Lebanon
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that recent discussions between senior officials in Trump’s incoming administration and Israeli leaders highlight the president-elect's “preference for maintaining calm” in the region, enabling him to concentrate on US domestic priorities.
Regarding Syria, the report noted that Trump’s senior advisors urged Israel to refrain from making strong statements against the new administration in Damascus to prevent escalating tensions, emphasizing Syrian officials' “desire to avoid conflict with Israel.”
On Lebanon, Trump’s administration reportedly expressed similar views, stressing the importance of maintaining the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel and indicating that Trump is determined to prevent a resurgence of military conflict on Israel’s northern border. “He has no interest in engaging with new wars or escalating existing conflicts in the Middle East at the start of his term,” the report explained.
Ceasefire in Gaza
Channel 12 cited an unnamed Israeli official stating that Trump recently “personally intervened” in efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and aims to finalize the deal “as soon as possible” before his inauguration on January 20, 2025.
Meanwhile, there has allegedly been “unprecedented cooperation” between President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration and Donald Trump’s transition team to negotiate a hostage exchange deal and a ceasefire in Gaza. Sources within Biden’s administration confirmed to Channel 12 that Brett McGurk, Biden’s Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, has maintained ongoing communication with Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
The channel predicted that the coming days would be crucial in determining whether a hostage deal and ceasefire could be finalized. “Progress has been made on all aspects of the agreement,” it stated, adding that high-level Israeli officials, led by Mossad chief David Barnea, are currently in Qatar, attempting to reach an agreement with Hamas.
Israeli and Qatari mediators are reportedly pushing for an announcement as early as Thursday or Friday. While it remains unclear if a formal deal will be signed, “preliminary agreements or a framework of principles” could be reached, potentially paving the way for a breakthrough as Trump assumes office.
"There is optimism, though caution remains necessary.”
In December 2024, Trump demanded the immediate release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, warning that failure to secure a deal before his inauguration would result in “all hell breaking loose” in the Middle East.
Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, have intensified to finalize a hostage exchange deal and bring an end to the Israeli war on Gaza. Hebrew media reports indicated that 90% of the agreement's details have been finalized.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with US backing, has been committing genocide in Gaza, resulting in over 156,000 Palestinian casualties, mostly children and women, with more than 11,000 still missing, while the offensive has caused widespread destruction and famine, contributing to one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history.