The Gaza Ceasefire Part 2: Trump and Israel’s plans

After nearly 16 months of genocide, Palestinians saw a long-awaited respite when a ceasefire was announced in mid-January. But while the bombs have stopped raining down on Gaza—for now—Israel’s attacks on Palestinians across occupied lands continue. With only 42 days of ceasefire guaranteed, Israeli politicians are already plotting their return to war while escalating settler and state violence in the West Bank.

This is the second episode in a three-part series in collaboration with Mondoweiss and Al-Shabaka, the Palestine Policy Network, where we explore what happens next and what the future of Palestine looks like. We’ll dive into Hamas’s vision for the “day after” in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority’s struggle for power and legitimacy, and what Israel stands to gain—or lose—in the process.

In this episode, we turn to Washington, where, in the third week of a fragile ceasefire, U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister—and wanted war criminal—Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House. As Israeli officials were preparing for ceasefire negotiations in Qatar, Trump and Netanyahu sent an entirely different message: Trump declared that the U.S. would "own Gaza" and turn it into the Riviera of the Middle East—a statement widely condemned as a call for ethnic cleansing.

To unpack these statements, their deeper implications, and what they reveal about the future of Gaza, we’re joined by Palestinian human rights lawyer, analyst, and Al-Shabaka policy member, Diana Buttu.

Subscribe to Mondoweiss and Al-Shabaka on YouTube to stay updated on this series.

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