President Donald Trump arrives in Israel to mark ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas

President Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday to celebrate the USbrokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas an agreement that he declared had effectively ended the war and opened the door to building a durable peace in the Middle EastAs he disembarked from Air Force One a convoy of vehicles carried into Israel the first hostages released by Hamas as part of the dealIsraeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted Trump on the tarmac as a military band played In Hostages Square in Tel Aviv the site of continuous demonstrations during two years of war the crowd cheered for TrumpThe moment remains fragile with Israel and Hamas still in the early stages of implementing the first phase of the plan intended to end the conflict that began on Oct 7 2023 when Hamasled militantsWATCH US President Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu leave together after the US President landed in Israel Source GPO VIA REUTERS pictwittercomebeXmb667smdash ANI ANI October 13 2025The first phase of the ceasefire agreement calls for the release of the final 48 hostages held by Hamas the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from Gazas main citiesWith families overjoyed at the impending reunions and Palestinians eager for a surge of humanitarian assistance Trump thinks there is a narrow window to reshape the region and reset longfrayed relations between Israel and its Arab neighboursThe war is over OK Trump told reporters travelling with him aboard Air Force OneI think people are tired of it he said emphasising that he believed the ceasefire would hold because of thatThe Republican president said the chance of peace was enabled by his administrations support of Israels decimation of Iranian proxies including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in LebanonThe White House said momentum is also building because Arab and Muslim states are demonstrating a renewed focus on resolving the broader decadeslong IsraeliPalestinian conflict and in some cases deepening relations with the United StatesIn February Trump had predicted that Gaza could be redeveloped into what he called the Riviera of the Middle East But on Sunday aboard Air Force One he was more circumspectI havent known about the Riviera for a whileiquest Trump said Its blasted This is like a demolition site But he said he hoped to one day visit the territory Id like to put my feet on it at leastiquest he saidTrump will visit Israel first to meet with hostages families and address the Knesset or parliament an honour last extended to President George W Bush in 2008The president then stops in Egypt where he and Egyptian President AbdelFattah elSissi will lead a summit in Sharm elSheikh with leaders from more than 20 countries on peace in Gaza and the broader Middle EastBoth Israel and Egypt announced that Trump would receive their countries highest civilian honoursThe truce remains tenuous and it is unclear whether the sides have reached any agreement on Gazas postwar governance the territorys reconstruction and Israels demand that Hamas disarm Negotiations over those issues could break down and Israel has hinted it may resume military operations if its demands are not metMuch of Gaza has been reduced to rubble and the territorys roughly 2 million residents continue to struggle in desperate conditions Under the deal Israel agreed to reopen five border crossings which will help ease the flow of food and other supplies into Gaza parts of which are experiencing famineRoughly 200 US troops will help support and monitor the ceasefire deal as part of a team that includes partner nations nongovernmental organisations and privatesector players