TEL AVIV — US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel aboard Air Force One on Monday, marking the start of a high-profile Middle East peace tour just as the first Israeli hostages were freed after two years in Gaza captivity.
Trump was welcomed with full honors at Ben Gurion Airport by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump boldly declared, “The war is over in Gaza,” and said he believed the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas would hold. “I think people are tired of it. It’s been centuries,” the 79-year-old president remarked.
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During his visit, Trump will meet families of the freed hostages and address the Israeli parliament before flying to Egypt, where he and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will co-host a summit of more than 20 world leaders. The meeting aims to endorse Trump’s peace plan to end the Gaza war and promote regional stability.
Calling the visit “a very special event,” Trump said his peace proposal — announced in September — had brought hope to millions. “Everybody’s very excited about this moment in time,” he added.
Top US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA chief John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, are accompanying him on the trip.
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Despite the optimism, uncertainty remains about the next phase of the plan, including Hamas’s disarmament and Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza. Trump said he had received “verbal guarantees” from all sides and expected them to “not disappoint” him.
He reaffirmed his strong ties with Netanyahu, calling their past disagreements “quickly settled,” and expressed a desire to visit Gaza in the future.
A new governing authority for Gaza — to be established under Trump’s proposed framework — would be formed “very quickly,” he said, while adding he would reassess the potential involvement of former UK prime minister Tony Blair in the process.