Donald Trump’s White House Director of Communications slammed the committee for choosing “politics over peace”.
Donald Trump’s Whitehouse has responded to the snub. (Image: Getty)
The White House has responded after Donald Trump failed to win the Nobel Prize despite securing a peace deal between Israel and Hamas. Steven Cheung, White House Director of Communications, slammed the committee, saying, “The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace.”
Cheung added: “President Trump will continue making peace deals around the world, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will.” The committee awarded the prize to Venezuelan opposition leader and politician María Corina Machado. The former opposition presidential candidate in Venezuela was lauded for being a “key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided — an Opposition that found common ground in the demand for free elections and representative government,” said Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee.
Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire to win the prize. (Image: Getty)
There had been persistent speculation ahead of the announcement about the possibility of the prize going to the US president, fuelled in part by the American leader himself, and amplified by this week’s approval of his plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Experts say the committee typically focuses on the durability of peace, the promotion of international fraternity and the quiet work of institutions that strengthen those goals.
Asked about lobbying for, Frydnes said: “I think this committee has seen any type of campaign, media attention. We receive thousands and thousands of letters every year of people wanting to say what for them leads to peace.
“This committee sits in a room filled with the portraits of all laureates, and that room is filled with both courage and integrity. So we base only our decision on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel.”
Some Palestinians have started returning to their homes in Khan Yunis following the ceasefire. (Image: Getty)
Earlier today, the Israeli military said the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, orchestrated by Trump, had come into effect and that troops had withdrawn to the agreed-upon deployment lines.
The announcement came after Palestinians reported heavy shelling on Friday morning in northern Gaza, hours after Israel’s Cabinet approved the US president’s plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of the remaining hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
Tens of thousands of people who had gathered in Wadi Gaza in central Gaza in the morning started walking north after the military’s announcement.
The approval marked a key step toward ending a ruinous two-year war that has destabilised the Middle East.
Mr Netanyahu said Israel is about to achieve one of its central goals – the return of the hostages.
“Hamas agreed to the deal only when it felt that the sword was on its neck — and it is still on its neck,” Mr Netanyahu said on Friday. “Hamas agreed to the deal after Trump’s plan, which I agreed to with the president in Washington.
“I promised the families of the hostages, and I also promised you, citizens of Israel, that we will return everyone, without exception. We promised and we are fulfilling it,” he said.
He insisted in the televised statement that the next stages would see Hamas disarm and Gaza demilitarised.
“If this is achieved the easy way, so be it. If not, it will be achieved the hard way,” Mr Netanyahu said.
Under the ceasefire plan agreed with Hamas, all 48 hostages still in captivity are expected to be released. Israel believes around 20 of them are alive.