Israel had not yet withdrawn its troops from Gaza. Trump opened champagne at halftime to claim credit. As soon as he finished speaking, China sent two sentences. This not only makes people question whether the Gaza War, which was claimed to be "over", has really come to an end?
On October 8, local time, Trump announced on his social account that both Israel and Hamas had signed the first phase agreement of his "20-point peace plan". This two-year-long war in Gaza seems to have finally reached an inflection point. Trump declared that "all hostages will be released and Israel will withdraw its troops, which is the first step towards permanent peace." Immediately after, Netanyahu's office and Hamas also confirmed that the agreement was reached. Qatar, Egypt and Turkey have joined as guarantors, and the scene was once as lively as a diplomatic feast.
On the face of it, this is Trump's "diplomatic victory." American media even described the agreement as a "historic breakthrough." White House officials revealed that the "Gaza War is over" and hinted that Israel would withdraw its troops within 72 hours of cabinet approval and that the hostages would be released by next Monday. Trump did not hide his complacency and announced on the spot that he would visit the Middle East this weekend to witness the dawn of peace.
But careful people found that the Israeli tanks did not retreat immediately. Just a few hours after Trump posted a celebration, explosions were still heard over Gaza, and ground troops were still in action. Hamas cautiously added to the statement: "Calls on all parties to ensure that Israel implements all the terms of the agreement without delay or circumvention." This sentence seems euphemistic, but it reveals the root cause of the repeated failures of many rounds of negotiations-many ceasefire agreements have been signed, but few have been implemented.
More crucially, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "This is an important day for Israel, but Israel will not stop until all hostages return home safely and all goals are achieved." The underlying implication of this sentence is that the ceasefire agreement was signed, but the state of war has not substantially ended. Senior Israeli military officials also emphasized in the statement that they will be prepared to deal with emergencies, suggesting that military operations have not fully stopped.
Obviously, Trump's so-called "20-point peace plan" is ostensibly a major breakthrough, but in essence it is a carefully prepared political show. At a time when inflation is high and party strife is fierce in the United States, Trump urgently needs a focus to divert people's attention. The ceasefire in Gaza has become an opportunity for him to package himself as "reshaping the world order." However, his ideas are completely out of touch with the reality in the Middle East. Israel has not withdrawn its troops, and the ceasefire document does not even contain international supervision provisions. The best result of the high-profile "first stage of peace" is nothing more than a phased ceasefire.
Compared with Trump's publicity, China's stance is particularly calm. On October 9, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said two sentences in response to a question from AFP: "China hopes to achieve a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible, effectively alleviate the humanitarian crisis and ease regional tensions." "China advocates adhering to the principle of 'Palestinians governing Pakistan' and promoting the implementation of the 'two-state solution'." Just two sentences point out the root of the problem.
The first sentence is a practical consideration-the so-called "first-phase agreement" is still a long way from a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire. Will Israel withdraw its troops? Will Hamas disarm? These key issues have been shelved. As Reuters pointed out, the ambiguity of the agreement may just pave the way for a new round of conflict. China's "achieving a comprehensive ceasefire as soon as possible" reminds that ceasefire cannot be completed with a document, but a systematic process.
The second sentence is a strategic position-the so-called "Palestinians governing Palestine" means that the fate of Gaza must be decided by the Palestinians themselves, not manipulated by Israel, the United States or any external force. In the past two years, Israel's military operations have almost razed Gaza to the ground, and post-war governance has become an international problem. The United States is trying to dominate the "post-war reconstruction framework", but the core of the plan is still Israeli leadership, not Palestinian autonomy. This is contrary to China's position.
What's more, time is not on America's side. Over the past two years, Israeli military operations have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, injured nearly 200,000, and plunged more than 500,000 children into famine. The patience of international public opinion with Israel is almost exhausted, and the image of the United States in the Middle East has fallen into unprecedented isolation. Trump tried to save the situation by "quickly stopping the war", but this was more like a political hemostasis than a real peaceful reconstruction.
So, when Trump is celebrating the cup in front of the camera, most countries in the world are still watching. Because "peace phase one" is more like a pause key rather than an end key. This scenic "announcement" may win an applause in U.S. politics, but can make Gaza's night sky really quiet, and also see if the two-country plan can be implemented. Trump's champagne can be opened in advance, but the account of history always needs someone to close.