Trump's Middle East strategy faces scrutiny as Gaza reignites
As the civilian death toll climbs in Gaza, can the self-proclaimed peacemaker president get both sides back to the negotiating table?
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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to restore peace in a turbulent Middle East looked further away than ever this week.
Trump used his second inaugural address in January to predict that his “proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier,” touting the recently reached US-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
But the ceasefire he took credit for was shattered Tuesday when Israel resumed heavy bombing of the Gaza Strip after nearly two months of relative calm in the Palestinian territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Hamas' refusal to free more hostages for the airstrikes, which local health officials said killed more than 400 Palestinians, including children, in a single day.
