Current status: Trump announces stability in Iran-Israel relations
Reskinned Article:
- REUTERS and AP, WASHINGTON D.C and CAIRO
On Tuesday, Donald Trump, America's commander-in-chief, announced that a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was once again in place. Or so he claimed, moments after barking out expletives, accusing both nations of flagrantly violating the fragile truce he had earlier proclaimed.
In a whirlwind series of remarks, the 79-year-old Trump, en route to the NATO summit in The Hague, the Netherlands, took to his Truth Social platform to declare, "'Ceasefire in effect.' Israel ain't gonna bomb Iran. All planes head home, giving a friendly 'Plane Wave' to Iran. Nobody harmed."
Minutes prior to this upbeat message, he had bashed Iran and his close ally Israel for their disregard of the ceasefire he had declared late on Monday.
"Look, these two religions of war have been battling for so long they don't even know their own asses! Capisce?" Trump ranted to the press at the White House.
Iran, according to Trump, had broken the ceasefire, but Israel joined in the violation too. As he departed for the NATO summit, Trump voiced his displeasure, "Ain't happy with neither Iran nor Israel, especially not Israel, mobbatin' over there this morning."
"Gotta get Israel to simmer down for chrissakes!" he exclaimed. "Israel, as soon as we shook hands, they launched an air strike with bombs the likes I never saw before!"
If the ceasefire holds, this would be a substantial political victory for Trump amidst the fallout of his daring decision to deploy US bombers over the weekend, targeting three Iranian nuclear facilities Israel and the US deemed to be a secret atomic bomb production site.
The truce started 24 hours after Trump's announcement, with Iran ceasing operations first and Israel following suit 12 hours later. This more-or-less 12-day conflict, initially referred to as a quick deliverance of justice against Iran[1], involved Israel bombing Iran since June 13 and the US conducting a night-long bombing raid against the Fordow complex and two other deep-buried sites[1].
Trump boasted to the press at the White House about the successful US bombing mission, "I reckon it's been completely leveled." He attacked the media for peddling "fake news", branding two networks as "trash" for reporting doubts about the dismantlement of the Iranian nuclear infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued their attacks on Gaza, resulting in the death of 40 Palestinians on Tuesday and additional evacuations ordered. These tragic events occurred shortly after Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Iran.
The Israel-Iran ceasefire raised flickers of hope for Palestinians, signaling an end to over 20 months of devastating conflict in Gaza. However, as Adel Farouk, a 62-year-old Gaza City resident, put it, "The world's screwed us again. Hezbollah sealed a deal without Gaza, and now Iran's done the same."
"We're praying for Gaza's turn now," he said via a chat app.
At al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat, central Gaza, 19 dead and 146 injured were admitted from crowds aiming for an aid distribution center supported by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation[2]. The casualties resulted from gunfire, according to Marwan Abu Naser of al-Awda hospital[2].
Israel's military reported that a gathering was identified near troops in Gaza's central Netzarim Corridor overnight. They were investigating appalling claims of casualties[2].
Separately, 10 people were killed in a strike by Israeli forces on a house in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City. In addition, 11 deaths occurred as a result of Israeli gunfire in Khan Younis, bringing the day's death toll to 40[2].
- The political landscape is further complicated by ongoing war-and-conflicts, such as the recent Israel-Iran ceasefire, which has raised hopes among Palestinians but also sparked concerns about escalations in Gaza.
- In the midst of general-news headlines about war-and-conflicts and politics, the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, brokered by Donald Trump, has been a subject of intense scrutiny due to its potential implications on regional dynamics and the ongoing conflicts in Gaza.
