Never one to avoid a bit of theatre, US President Donald Trump's declaration that peace could soon be coming to the Middle East was made for television.

The passing of a note and a whisper in the ear of the president set the wheels in motion for a moment the world has been waiting and hoping would come.

The announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to phase one of a peace deal in Gaza is significant. It's monumental.

A spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, Majed Al Ansari, wrote on social media that the deal would "lead to ending the war, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of aid".

But despite the celebrations which erupted in the pre-dawn hours in Gaza and Tel Aviv, with Palestinians and Israelis dancing and cheering the outcome, the

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