Trump Declares ‘War Is Over’ as Gaza Ceasefire Holds, Heads to Israel for Hostage Release
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that “the war is over” as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continues to hold, marking a major breakthrough in one of the deadliest conflicts in the Middle East in decades.
Speaking aboard Air Force earlier this week, Trump confirmed he was en route to Israel to oversee the release of hostages from Gaza, following the implementation of a U.S.-brokered 20-point peace plan.
“Before long, Gaza will be a miracle,” Trump declared. “It looks like a demolition site now, but we’re going to help it rebuild. Everybody’s happy — and I think it’s going to stay that way.”
The ceasefire, which took effect on Friday, represents the first phase of a broad agreement negotiated by Trump’s administration between Israel and Hamas. Under the terms, Hamas is to release 20 remaining Israeli hostages alive and return the remains of up to 28 others. In exchange, Israel will free about 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 Gaza detainees while allowing expanded humanitarian aid into the enclave.
Trump commended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar for their critical roles in facilitating the truce, which has drawn cautious optimism from world leaders.
The U.S. President is expected to arrive in Israel later Monday, where he will address the Knesset before proceeding to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, for an international peace summit hosted by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egypt’s foreign ministry said the summit aims to produce a “document officially ending the war in the Gaza Strip.”
The Gaza war, which began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas militants launched a surprise assault on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage, has left deep scars on both sides. Israel’s military response has since claimed more than 67,000 Palestinian lives, including over 18,000 children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
In Israel, thousands gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday to express gratitude to Trump and celebrate what many called “a day of deliverance.”
Meanwhile, humanitarian aid has begun trickling into Gaza, with convoys crossing the Rafah border on Sunday. UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told the BBC that while deliveries have resumed, the scale remains insufficient to meet urgent needs. “We need at least 600 trucks a day to begin addressing the humanitarian crisis,” he said.
The United Nations has warned that famine has already taken hold in parts of Gaza, though Israeli authorities have dismissed the reports as “Hamas propaganda.”
Iran confirmed that it was invited to the upcoming Sharm El-Sheikh summit but will not participate. “Iran welcomes any initiative that ends Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X, “but we will not engage with those who continue to threaten and sanction our people.”
Despite the ceasefire, tensions persist within Gaza. At least 27 people were reportedly killed in violent clashes between Hamas security forces and the Dughmush clan in Gaza City — one of the most serious internal confrontations since Israeli troops began withdrawing.
Trump, however, remains confident that peace will prevail.
“I’m good at solving wars,” he said with a smile. “I’m good at making peace — and this one’s going to last.”
Credit: BBC
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