A quick overview of Trump’s news: The president declares “peace in the Middle East” despite the fact that many obstacles remain | Trump administration
“Finally, we have peace in the Middle East,” Donald Trump declared as he and the region’s leaders signed a declaration aimed at cementing a ceasefire in Gaza. However, analysts said a series of thorny issues have not been resolved, and many obstacles to lasting peace remain.
The president made a lightning visit to Israel, where he praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a speech he delivered before Parliament, and then to Egypt, at a summit in which he pledged to be a guarantor of the Gaza agreement.
As part of Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, Hamas on Monday released the last 20 hostages it was holding after two years of captivity in Gaza. The Israeli Prison Service said that in return, Israel released 1,968 prisoners, most of whom were Palestinians detained in its prisons.
There is still much to be negotiated, and among the most pressing sticking points are Hamas’ refusal to disarm and Israel’s failure to pledge complete withdrawal from the devastated territories.
However, the US President has repeatedly indicated his confidence that the ceasefire will hold, saying in a joint appearance with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Sharm El-Sheikh that talks on the plan’s next steps “have already begun, for us.”
Trump sets his sights on peace with Iran and praises “the end of the Gaza war”
Donald Trump has vowed to use the power of his presidency to ensure that Israel acknowledges that it has achieved “everything it could by force of arms,” and usher in an era of cooperation in the Middle East that might eventually extend to peace with Iran.
In a speech to the Israeli Knesset, hours after the last remaining Israeli hostages were released from Gaza, Trump hailed the “historic dawn of a new Middle East” and the end of the “long and painful nightmare” of the Gaza war.
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Trump’s plan to invite Netanyahu to the Gaza summit failed
A last-minute plan by Donald Trump to invite Benjamin Netanyahu to a multinational summit in Gaza had to be aborted in Egypt after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would not land his plane in Sharm el-Sheikh if the invitation was accepted.
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American media refuses to sign new Pentagon rules for publishing only official information
Several leading news organizations with access to Pentagon briefings officially said they would not agree to a new Defense Department policy that would require them to pledge not to obtain unauthorized materials and restrict access to certain areas unless accompanied by an official.
The policy, introduced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last month, was widely criticized by media organizations who were required to sign the pledge by Tuesday at 5pm or given 24 hours to hand in their press credentials.
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Senators dig in wake of government shutdown
Republican and Democratic Senators Lindsey Graham and Mark Kelly have expressed anger over the government shutdown – now approaching two weeks, with the former saying the shutdown will not prompt him to meet Democratic demands to restore Obama-era health care subsidies.
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Obama targets companies that make deals with Trump
Barack Obama took aim at institutions and companies that have made deals or reached settlements with the Trump administration, saying in a new episode of the podcast: “I think we all have that ability to take a stand.”
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A growing number of veterans are facing arrest over ice protests
US military veterans increasingly face arrest and injury amid protests Donald Trump’s deportation campaign and his push to deploy National Guard members in an increasing number of American cities. The Guardian identified eight cases in which military veterans were prosecuted or sought damages after being detained by federal agents.
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The firings of hundreds of CDC employees have reportedly been reversed
Layoffs of hundreds of employees at the Centers for Disease Control have been reversed, according to several reports citing officials familiar with the matter and the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal workers.
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What else happened today:
Catch up? Here’s what happened on that day October 12, 2025.