National Times Bureau :- US President Donald Trump on Monday said that the war in Gaza is over as he departed for Israel, marking his first visit since brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. He is expected to address Knesset before co-chairing a high-level peace summit in Egypt.
“The war is over, you understand that,” Trump told reporters as quoted by Reuters. Asked about the region’s future, he added, “I think it’s going to normalise.”
Meanwhile, he also underscored the role of Qatar in helping mediating the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
He said some hostages might be released earlier than expected and announced that a “Board of Peace” would be set up soon to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction, describing the enclave as a “demolition site.”
“Everybody is happy, whether it’s Jewish or Muslim or the Arab countries. We are going to Egypt after Israel and we are going to meet all of the leaders of the very powerful and big countries and very rich countries and others and they’re all into this deal,” he added.
Leaders from countries including France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and India are attending, alongside UN Secretary-General António Guterres and European Council President António Costa.
According to the deal, Hamas is required to release all remaining hostages by noon Monday (0900 GMT), while Israel will free 250 Palestinian prisoners — including those convicted of serious crimes — though senior Hamas commanders are excluded from the list.
Israel Prime Minister Bengamin Netanyahu declared victory over Hamas in a televised address.
“Tomorrow is the beginning of a new path — a path of building, of healing, and, I hope, of uniting hearts.” “On this day, and I hope also in the period that is almost upon us, we have all the reasons to set them aside, because with joint strength, we achieved spectacular victories, victories that stunned the entire world,” he added.
“Everybody is happy, whether it’s Jewish or Muslim or the Arab countries. We are going to Egypt after Israel and we are going to meet all of the members leaders of the very powerful and big countries and very rich countries and others and they’re all into this deal,” he added.
