U.S. President Donald Trump announced the end of the war in Gaza, stating that “things will get better in Gaza.”
Speaking before departing for Israel and Egypt on a high-profile trip, Trump said, “We have many verbal guarantees regarding Gaza, and the release of Israeli hostages may happen a little earlier than expected.” He expressed confidence that the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will hold and that a Peace Council for Gaza will be formed quickly.
اضافة اعلان
Trump departed from Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, describing the Middle East trip as “very special.” He told reporters aboard Air Force One, “The war is over. Okay, do you understand that?” He emphasized his belief in the ceasefire’s durability.
During the visit, Trump is scheduled to address the Knesset in Israel, meet with families of hostages, and then travel to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, to attend a Peace Summit where global leaders will sign a document formally ending the Gaza war.
Under Trump’s ceasefire plan, 47 remaining hostages in Gaza are to be released, alongside the remains of one hostage held since 2014. In return, Israel will release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 detainees from Gaza taken since the start of the war. On Monday, the 20 surviving hostages were released and handed over to the Red Cross.
The plan also calls for a phased Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, replaced by a multinational force including Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the UAE, coordinated under U.S. supervision. A technocratic, non-political Palestinian committee will administer Gaza under the oversight of a new international transitional authority led by Trump.
On the ground, Gazans flocked to markets as food prices fell, and some aid trucks entered the territory. However, chaotic scenes were reported in Khan Younis, with residents scrambling for supplies amid widespread destruction.
Trump emphasized securing verbal guarantees from both sides and key regional players for the first phase of the agreement. He expressed confidence in his relationship with Netanyahu and affirmed plans to rapidly establish the Peace Council, although he was uncertain whether former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair would be accepted as a member.
The war in Gaza, which lasted over two years, resulted in at least 67,806 deaths, according to Hamas’ health ministry, with over half being women and children.
The ceasefire marks a critical step toward stabilizing Gaza, implementing humanitarian aid, and beginning a transition toward governance and reconstruction under international supervision.
