Trump, like any U.S. President, has leverage if he is willing to use it. American weapons— $18 billion in military aid in the form of scarce U.S. missile defense assets and American personnel in Israel to operate them, plus diplomatic cover at the U.N. —have enabled the war thus far.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff told Axios in an interview at the end of his trip to the Middle East that rebuilding Gaza could take between 10 and 15 years. Why it matters: The Trump administration wants to see the ceasefire continue and Gaza stabilized so it can move forward with its ambitious plans for the Middle East,

President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy completed a trip to Israel Thursday. Steve Witkoff was the first American official to visit Gaza in 15 years.