Why Trump forced Israel to accept Gaza ceasefire, with Ali Abunimah

The prime minister of Qatar announced late Wednesday that a phased deal had been reached between Israel and Hamas to end more than 460 days of brutal and devastating war and genocide in Gaza and to exchange prisoners.

The news was met with joy in Gaza, but fear and apprehension remain. The ceasefire is not set to come into effect until Sunday, and Israel has not let up its bombing and massacres. And while the agreement is expected to bring immediate relief to Palestinians, many questions remain unanswered about a devastated Gaza’s long-term future.

While many factors led to this agreement, especially the continued strength of the resistance on the ground, the intervention of Donald Trump appears to have been decisive.

The US president-elect’s envoy is reported to have applied unprecedented pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, something the Biden administration has adamantly refused to do.

This is a segment from The Electronic Intifada's day 468 livestream. Ali Abunimah, Nora Barrows-Friedman, Jon Elmer and Asa Winstanley were joined by political and economic analyst Shir Hever, and Ahmed Alnaouq, co-founder and director of We Are Not Numbers. You can watch the full show here: