During a high-stakes meeting aboard Air Force One, President Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani discussed next steps for stabilizing Gaza following the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
Trump called the emir “one of the great rulers of the world” and praised Qatar’s role in brokering peace, saying the Gulf nation could send troops to the multinational Gaza stabilization force if needed.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also present, said the force will help ensure that “all of Gaza is demilitarized” and emphasized that Israel has no plans to reoccupy the territory.
Trump claimed 59 nations, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan, are involved in the stabilization effort. “They’re actually picking leaders right now,” he said, hinting that deployment could happen “pretty quickly.”
The U.S. president attributed the peace process’s success to last June’s Israel-Iran conflict, saying the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program “changed everything.”
“We now have a strong peace in the Middle East,” Trump said. “But Hamas must keep its word — or face the consequences.”
