Minister: War will end by next year, more peace deals to follow

A decisive victory over Hamas will usher in a wave of Arab nations joining the Abraham Accords, says Israel’s Strategic Affairs minister.

By World Israel News Staff

A senior Israeli official said the ongoing war between Israel, Hamas, and Iran’s regional proxies would be over by next year, and that more Muslim and Arab countries would join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with the Jewish State.

Speaking at the Jewish News Syndicate conference in Jerusalem, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer declared that after more than 18 months of war, Israel would soon enter an era of prosperity and peace.

“Twelve months from now, the seven-front war that began on October 7 will be over. Israel will have won. And I think you will see many peace agreements, that either have been forged or will be forged in the coming years of President Trump’s presidency,” Dermer said.

“There are many countries that will want to make peace with Israel. But the key to that is victory,” he added.

“In the Middle East, when you win, when you’re strong, that’s what attracts others.”

Notably, Dermer is the first government official to provide an expected end date for the war.

Previously, members of the coalition have said that the fighting will continue until Israel achieves a decisive, total victory over the Hamas terror group.

Dermer stressed that Israel is currently weighing options for post-war governance in Gaza, which will see de-radicalization of the population, along with the ouster of Hamas from power.

The minister sniped at critics who say Israel has not done enough to plan for the day after the fighting, saying that “just because Israel doesn’t put out a plan every five minutes doesn’t mean we’re not dealing with it.”

Dermer cited Saudi Arabia as a society that had moved away from radical Islamic extremism in recent years, arguing it could serve as a model for Gaza.

“Saudi Arabia today has much greater degrees of freedom in its society,” he said.

“It’s not a democracy by any stretch. But look at the status of women in Saudi Arabia compared to what it was once.”