For two years now, the suffering of the 251 hostages snatched by Hamas terrorists during the October 7th massacre in Israel has been a stain on the conscience of the civilised world. Now the first phase of President Donald Trump’s peace deal promises the speedy release of the 48 remaining hostages held in Gaza – up to 20 of whom could still be alive.
Their release will be a joyful day for former British hostage Emily Damari, whose family I tried my best to support whilst she was in captivity. If his confident prediction that they will all be released “very soon” is fulfilled, then President Trump will deserve huge congratulations and heartfelt thanks — not only from the hostages’ desperate families — but from everybody who wants to see an end to terrorism and war in the Middle East.
If this happens, President Trump will surely also deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. He has proved again that he is an instinctive peacemaker, not a warmonger like too many of his predecessors in the White House.
Before Trump US policy was dominated by neo-cons, from both the Democratic and Republican parties, who seemed all for foreign wars and launched disastrous military campaigns in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.
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