Trump Heads to Egypt After Landmark Visit to Israel and Speech at Knesset

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — US President Donald Trump departed Israel on Monday after a whirlwind visit during which he met with top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, and delivered a widely praised speech at the Knesset.

His visit came just hours after the final 20 surviving Israeli hostages were freed from Gaza, marking a pivotal moment in the ceasefire deal he brokered. Trump has now arrived in Egypt to co-chair a historic peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh aimed at formally signing the Gaza peace agreement and charting a path toward long-term regional stability.

Trump, who declared the war in Gaza “over,” is credited with brokering the ceasefire through a 20-point plan aimed at ensuring long-term stability in the enclave and preventing renewed hostilities between Israel and Hamas.

Under the ceasefire terms, 47 Israeli hostages living and deceased hostages abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack were exchanged for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 Gazans detained by Israel since the outbreak of the conflict. Hamas also pledged to return the remains of an Israeli soldier killed in 2014.

Israel confirmed the safe return of all 20 living hostages with a post on X reading, “Welcome home.” The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which has led nationwide advocacy for their release, hailed the development but said their mission continues.

“Our struggle is not over. It will not end until the last hostage is located and returned for proper burial,” the group said.

Meanwhile, large crowds gathered in Ramallah to celebrate the release of Palestinian prisoners. An AFP correspondent reported several buses departing from Israel’s Ofer prison as part of the exchange process.

Trump’s trip to Israel included a speech at the Knesset, where he received a standing ovation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed him as “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.”

Later in the day, Trump was set to travel to Egypt to co-chair the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The historic gathering is expected to formalize the end of the Gaza war through a signed agreement involving the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey as guarantors.

Although Netanyahu canceled his attendance due to a Jewish holiday, the summit will see participation from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and representatives from over 20 other nations.

While the ceasefire brought relief to millions, uncertainties remain over Gaza’s post-war governance. A senior Hamas source told AFP the group “relinquished control of the Strip” but would remain part of the Palestinian political fabric.

“Hamas agrees to a long-term truce and for its weapons not to be used at all during this period, except in the event of an Israeli attack,” the source said. However, other officials insisted that full disarmament was “out of the question.”

Following the ceasefire, more than 200 trucks carrying food, fuel, and medical supplies crossed into Gaza, where the UN had declared a famine during the war. Thousands of displaced Palestinians have begun returning to the devastated streets of Gaza City, where much of the urban landscape lies in ruins.

The health ministry in Gaza reported that 67,869 people were killed during the conflict, as rescue teams continue to recover bodies from the rubble.

Trump’s visit and the upcoming Egypt summit signal an ambitious U.S.-led effort to transition the region from war toward recovery and reconstruction — an outcome Washington hopes will redefine its diplomatic role in the Middle East.