Knesset speech after releases
The US President spoke in the Israeli parliament more than two hours late. According to Trump's statement, the Middle East is on the verge of a new era of peace – one he owes to US mediation.
In a speech to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, US President Donald Trump described the Gaza agreement, which he helped negotiate, as the beginning of a new era of peace in the Middle East. This day marks not only the end of a war, but also"the end of a time of terror and death," Trump said during his appearance in the Knesset. It is the beginning of"lasting harmony" for Israel and other countries, the beginning of a new Middle East.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is"not the easiest negotiator to work with, but that's exactly what makes him great," Trump said in his speech. Future generations will remember this moment as the moment everything changed for the better. Trump called on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges.
Netanyahu hopes for agreements with Arab states
Previously, the terrorist organization Hamas had released the last 20 surviving men kidnapped from Israel two years ago. Both sides agreed to this exchange in indirect negotiations under pressure from Trump. Part of the agreement also includes the return of the bodies of a total of 28 deceased hostages. Hamas has not yet fulfilled this requirement.
The Israeli prime minister thanked Trump profusely after the release. During Trump's visit to parliament in Jerusalem, Netanyahu spoke of a"moving day that will go down in the history of our people." The Israeli leader also expressed hope that with Trump's help, Israel could conclude rapprochement agreements with other Arab and Muslim states.
He suggested that Trump be the first non-Israeli to be awarded the Israel Prize, the country's highest honor."As for the other prize, it's only a matter of time before you get it," Netanyahu said, referring to the Nobel Peace Prize. He called Trump Israel's greatest friend. Trump had repeatedly put himself forward for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump relies on other countries in the region
In his speech, Trump also spoke of seeing a new coalition of responsible nations emerging in the Middle East. This is a very exciting time for Israel and the entire Middle East, he said. The forces of chaos, terror, and destruction that have plagued the region have been weakened, isolated, or defeated. He did not name who he included in this new coalition.
According to Trump, a number of states in the Middle East want to see the militant Islamist terrorist organization Hamas disarmed."Virtually the entire region has endorsed the plan to immediately demilitarize Gaza, disarm Hamas, and cease posing any threat to Israel's security," Trump told the Israeli parliament.
War not over according to Netanyahu
Shortly before, during his flight to Israel, Trump had said, according to journalists traveling with him, that his administration had given Hamas permission to temporarily rearm itself. Hamas was trying to restore order after months of war."They've spoken openly about it, and we've given them permission for a period of time," Trump reportedly said."You have to understand, they've probably lost 60,000 people. There's a lot of retaliation."
Many questions in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, as well as in the region, remain unresolved. The future of the Gaza Strip is also completely uncertain.
Members of Parliament expelled from the chamber
During Trump's speech in the Knesset, an incident occurred: Two members of a left-wing opposition party were escorted from the chamber by security forces, shouting. The Israeli news site Ynet reported that they were holding signs demanding recognition of an independent Palestinian state.
The AFP news agency reported that left-leaning parliamentarian Ofer Cassif held up a sign insulting Trump. Trump said of the removal of the protesters:"That was very efficient."
Summit in Sharm el Sheikh follows
Trump plans to fly from Israel to Egypt to participate in a "Middle East Peace Ceremony." An international summit on the Gaza war is planned in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. More than 20 heads of state and government from the Arab world and Europe, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, are expected there.
Contrary to previous Israeli media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend the meeting in Egypt. Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump for his invitation to Sharm el-Sheikh, but he will not be able to attend"due to the timing" of the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah, the Israeli prime minister's office announced.
