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WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump announced plans to travel to the Middle East this Sunday, aiming to mark the initial stage of the Gaza peace agreement and witness the release of hostages held by Hamas.
During a speech at the White House Thursday, Trump stated that the deal between Israel and Hamas effectively “ended the war in Gaza.” He emphasized that under his 20-point peace plan, no one would be compelled to leave Palestinian territory, which served as the foundation for indirect talks between Hamas and Israel in Egypt.
He expressed hopes of visiting Israel, with the possibility of addressing the Knesset, and potentially going to Egypt as well.
“The hostages will be coming home on Monday or Tuesday. I plan to be there and hope to see it happen,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, referring to those taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023. However, he acknowledged that some bodies of those killed might be “difficult to find.”
Hamas took 251 individuals hostage into Gaza, where 47 remain, including 25 that the Israeli military has declared dead.
Israel’s operations in Gaza have caused widespread destruction and resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi mentioned earlier that he had invited the U.S. president to take part in a “celebration in Egypt” to commemorate the first phase of a ceasefire agreement.
Details about the second phase of the deal and Gaza’s future remain scarce among Republicans. Earlier, Trump stated during a cabinet meeting, “There will be disarmament and pullbacks,” likely referencing Israel’s demand for Hamas to disarm and Hamas’s calls for Israeli withdrawal, though he did not provide specifics.
He indicated that Gaza would be “gradually rebuilt,” with assistance from wealthy Arab nations and possibly peacekeeping forces.
In February, Trump proposed that the U.S. could assume control of Gaza and dismissed fears that Palestinians might be forced out of the devastated area.
“Nobody will be forced to leave. Quite the opposite—this is a great plan,” he said.
He also brushed aside questions about his chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize, an award announced Friday, stating, “I don’t know what the future holds, but nobody has solved eight wars in nine months like this.”
His cabinet members praised him, especially Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had earlier suggested a deal was imminent.
“Frankly, I can’t think of any modern U.S. president who could have accomplished this,” Rubio commented. He hinted at intense negotiations involving Trump pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and rallying Arab and Muslim nations to put pressure on Hamas, adding, “One day, the full story will be told—about the conversations and efforts that led here.”
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