Donald Trump is back in the White House and his promise is to end foreign wars. But in the Middle East he is facing two dangerous conflicts - one in Gaza and the other in Lebanon. These two crises will undoubtedly test his resolve greatly.

During his election campaigns, Trump presented himself as a strong leader and mediator for peace. Asked about Israel's war in Gaza, he said, 'a final solution must be reached and a return to the path of peace'.

Israeli aggression in Gaza and Trump's position

Since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israeli territory, Israel has continued to carry out bloody attacks on the Palestinian-besieged Gaza.

Since the start of the Israeli attack on Gaza, Hezbollah has also been launching rocket attacks on Israel and Israel has been retaliating. This resulted in the deaths of approximately 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza and approximately 3,000 Lebanese in Lebanon, most of them women and children.

The conflict in the Middle East is being considered as a regional war for the balance of power between Iran and the United States. The Iran-led 'Axis of Resistance' and Israel and the US are involved in the war.

In this situation, Trump's pledge to end the war may conflict with the strong support of the United States to Israel. Because Trump wants to restart the campaign to impose tough sanctions against Iran.

In this regard, James Jeffrey, a senior official of the former Trump administration, told Middle East Eye, "Trump sees Iran as a clear threat and wants to prevent Iran through tough sanctions, not war."

In this regard, Trump himself has said that Iran is currently in 'danger'. Because Israel is attacking Tehran directly.

Trump's attitude towards the Lebanon war

Between the two conflicts, Trump's campaign focused on ending the war in Lebanon. He says, I want to stop 'suffering and destruction'.

Trump's interest is believed to be influenced by his Lebanese adviser Massad Boulos.

Meanwhile, a cease-fire draft proposed by the Biden administration will be a legacy for the Trump administration. The proposal called for strengthening UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, deploying the Lebanese army to southern Lebanon and giving Israel more independence.

But former US intelligence officer Alan Pino says Hezbollah will not be willing to give up much power.

The possibility of finding a way to a Palestinian state

Meanwhile, establishing a Palestinian state to resolve the Gaza conflict is a bigger challenge for Trump. The Biden administration has refused to use arms deliveries as leverage at the negotiating table, and Trump is unlikely to do so either.

The Palestinian independence movement Hamas, however, demanded a permanent ceasefire. But Israel wants to maintain control over the Rafah border and the Netzerim corridor, which is unacceptable to Hamas.

Meanwhile, Israel's right-wing leaders expressed their joy at Trump's victory in this year's US election. However, if Trump accepts the demands of Israel's right-wing settlement movement, the chances of a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip may diminish.

In this regard, former US intelligence officer Pino said, if Trump is wise, then he should move forward with the Israelis on the path to a Palestinian state.

The bottom line is that no matter what Trump does, he will maintain his support for Israel's security. At the same time, he is likely to impose tougher sanctions to deter Iran.

At the same time, Trump may try to limit his policy of long-term US involvement in the Middle East conflict. Source: Middle East Eye