How the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal came together

President Donald Trump had to maintain the trust of Israel and a series of Arab- and Muslim-majority nations. His ability to walk that tightrope was tested repeatedly.

President Donald Trump’s personal touch — both as a heavy hand and a gentle guide — played a pivotal role at key moments in the development of a Middle East peace deal that promises to bring an end to Israel’s two-year war in Gaza, current and former officials in the United States and other nations told NBC News.

Trump announced on Wednesday that the “first phase” of the plan to end the conflict in Gaza had been agreed to, with a pause in fighting and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

Trump called it “a great deal” in a brief interview with NBC News on Thursday morning. “Everybody is happy,” he said.

The deal accelerated over several crucial moments — Israel’s strike on Qatar, discussions on the sidelines of the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York City and Jared Kushner’s conversations with his father-in-law, these sources said.

Also helpful, though, was an old-fashioned deadline. In recent weeks, Trump told advisers he wanted to announce a deal by Oct. 7, the second anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel that precipitated the war, according to two people familiar with his instructions.