JERUSALEM: US President Donald Trump thanked Arab and Muslim nations for supporting the safe rebuilding of Gaza during a speech at the Israeli parliament on Monday.
He also said that the ceasefire he helped broker in the Gaza war had ushered in the “historic dawn of a new Middle East”.
“And after so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace, a land and a region that will live, God willing, in peace for all eternity,” he said.
“This is not only the end of a war... This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
“Let me also convey my tremendous appreciation for all of the nations of the Arab and Muslim world that came together to press Hamas to set the hostages free and to send them home,” Trump said in remarks before the Israeli parliament.
“We had a lot of help, we had a lot of help from a lot of people that you wouldn't suspect, and I want to thank them very much for that. It’s an incredible triumph for Israel and the world to have all of these nations working together as partners in peace.”
Trump’s address to the Israeli parliament was briefly interrupted as a left-wing lawmaker was expelled.
“That was very efficient,” Trump quipped as the MP was quickly taken out.
The US president had paused as a Knesset staff member audibly ordered the expulsion of lawmaker Ofer Cassif after an apparent protest.
Standing ovation
Trump received a standing ovation from Israeli lawmakers ahead of his address to parliament during a brief visit to Israel after brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The applause lasted several minutes as lawmakers clapped and cheered Trump, who was accompanied by his special envoy Steve Witkoff, son-in-law Jared Kushner, and daughter Ivanka.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Monday that he is “committed to this peace” in a speech to parliament.
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He added: “Today, the Jewish calendar marks the end of two years of war.”
Netanyahu also praised the US president for helping broker the first phase of a Gaza deal that saw the return of all living Israeli hostages.
“Donald Trump is the greatest friend that the state of Israel has ever had in the White House. No American president has ever done more for Israel,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu also praised Israel’s soldiers, saying the country had “achieved amazing victories over Hamas”.
“Under your leadership, we can forge new peace treaties with Arab countries in the region and Muslim countries beyond the region,” Netanyahu said, adding that “no one wants peace more than the people of Israel”.
Trump landed in Israel on Monday to celebrate the US-brokered 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 East.
Air Force One flyover
Air Force One did a flyover Monday of Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where tens of thousands have gathered, on the way to landing at Ben Gurion airport.
The flyover came just after the first seven living hostages arrived in Israel from Gaza. Over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners will be released as well.
The moment remains fragile, with Israel and Hamas still in the early stages of implementing the first phase of the plan, which included the release of Israeli hostages that have been held since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led militants.
With 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 long-fraught relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
“The war is over, OK?” Trump told reporters traveling with him aboard Air Force One.
“I think people are tired of it,” he said, emphasizing that he believed the ceasefire would hold because of that.
The Republican president said the chance of peace was enabled by his administration’s support of Israel’s decimation of Iranian proxies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The White House said momentum is also building because Arab and Muslim states are demonstrating a renewed focus on resolving the broader, decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, in some cases, deepening relations with the United States.
In 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 circumspect.
“I don’t know about the Riviera for a while,” Trump said. “It’s blasted. This is like a demolition site.” But he said he hoped to one day visit the territory. “I’d like to put my feet on it, at least,” he said.
The 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 Gaza’s main cities.
Both Israel and Egypt announced that Trump would receive their counties’ highest civilian honors.
The truce remains tenuous and it is unclear whether the sides have reached any agreement on Gaza’s postwar governance, the territory’s reconstruction and Israel’s 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 met.
Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble and the territory’s 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 famine.
Roughly 200 US troops will help support and monitor the ceasefire deal as part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private-sector players.
