Le Monde: 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner decided before Gaza deal

According to French newspaper Le Monde, the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize had already been determined prior to the recent agreement on the Gaza Strip. 

The Norwegian Nobel Committee held its final meeting on Monday, October 6, during which it selected this year’s laureate. Typically, the five-member committee finalises its decision “a few days or weeks before the announcement,” using the last session for refinements and final adjustments.

“The final touches were made on Monday,” Erik Osheim, spokesperson for the Norwegian Nobel Institute, told Le Monde.

He added that the committee never discloses the exact date a decision is made and confirmed that no further meetings are scheduled before the official announcement. Osheim also emphasised that, despite a challenging geopolitical environment, the Nobel Committee chose to proceed with awarding the prize, even though some analysts had speculated it might be withheld.

Separately, Bloomberg reported that US President Donald Trump is currently ranked second by bookmakers among potential 2025 Nobel Peace Prize candidates. Since returning to the office in January, Trump has actively promoted his candidacy, publicly and privately stressing his interest in receiving the award.

While the full list of nominees remains confidential, bookmakers have also highlighted several favourites, including Russian opposition figure Yulia Navalny, humanitarian organisations working in Sudan, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, NATO, jailed Hong Kong activist Chow Hang-tung, and Canadian human rights lawyer Irwin Cotler.

Six conflicts cited by Trump

Trump has repeatedly referenced his role in “ending six wars,” with the White House specifying the conflicts he was referring to:

1. Armenia and Azerbaijan – On August 8, 2025, a peace agreement was announced between the two countries. Following the deal, both leaders nominated Trump for the Nobel Prize. Sky News experts noted that of all Trump’s claimed peace achievements, this agreement is considered the most concrete internationally.

2. Thailand and Cambodia – In late July, a border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia reignited. Two days later, Trump intervened in peace talks held in Malaysia, warning that the US could raise tariffs on goods from both countries if the truce was violated. The agreement was signed on August 7.

3. Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – In early 2025, Rwandan government-backed rebels, known as Movement 23, captured a mineral-rich area in eastern DRC. After months of fighting, the two countries’ foreign ministers signed a ceasefire at the White House in June. Movement 23 was not directly involved and stated it did not recognise the agreement as binding.

4. Israel and Iran – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly praised the US for resolving tensions following missile strikes on Iranian territory. However, no formal peace agreement has been achieved, and the two countries remain essentially at war.

5. India and Pakistan – Tensions escalated on May 10 over Kashmir, but a ceasefire agreement was reached within days. Trump described the outcome as the result of “a long night of negotiations brokered by the United States,” and Pakistan subsequently nominated him for the Nobel Prize.

6. Egypt and Ethiopia – The dispute over the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, vital to Ethiopia’s water supply but contested by Egypt, has persisted for 12 years. Negotiations stalled in late June, and no agreement was reached. Trump subsequently stated on social media that the US would soon resolve the dispute.

By Tamilla Hasanova