Trump sets off for Israel after brokering historic Gaza peace deal: Hostages to be freed by Hamas within hours

Two years after the terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, President Donald Trump set out for Tel Aviv on a victory lap to secure peace between Israel and Hamas.

The president will first travel to the Israeli city this afternoon, where he is scheduled to arrive just after 9 a.m. local time.

Trump spoke to reporters while standing under an umbrella swinging in the persistent wind, just before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

‘There were 500,000 people in Israel yesterday and today, Muslim and Arab countries are all cheering. Everyone cheers at the same time; “This has never happened before,” he said.

‘Often, if one is cheering the other is not; The other is the exact opposite. For the first time, everyone is surprised and excited about this situation.

‘It’s an honor to be involved in this and we’re going to have a great time and it’s going to be something that’s never happened before.’

Trump then waved as he boarded the plane.

When he arrives in Tel Aviv, he will meet with the families of hostages in Hamas captivity and then make statements to the Knesset, Israel’s unicameral legislature.

Donald Trump waves as he boards the plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland

Trump spoke to reporters while standing under an umbrella swinging in the strong wind just before boarding Air Force One

From there, he will travel to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, to attend the Middle East Peace Ceremony before returning to the White House.

Trump announced on Wednesday night that he had signed the ‘first phase’ of the peace agreement proposed by both Israel and Hamas; This is an important step towards ending the war in Gaza.

“This means that ALL Hostages will be released very soon and Israel will withdraw its Soldiers to an agreed-upon line as the first steps towards a Strong, Resilient and Everlasting Peace,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time.

‘All Parties will be treated fairly! “This is a BIG Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators in Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye who worked with us to bring about this Historic and Unprecedented Event,” he continued. ‘How happy are those who make peace!’

Hamas plans to release all 20 surviving hostages this weekend in exchange for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, while the Israeli army will begin withdrawing from large parts of Gaza, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

‘The whole world came together on this issue. Israel, every country came together. “This was a great day,” Trump later told Reuters.

‘This is a great day for the world. ‘This is a great day, a great day for everyone.’

Israelis put up pro-Trump posters in Tel Aviv on October 11 after the president brokered a peace deal

Ivanka Trump (pictured) spoke at the ‘Bring Them Home’ rally in Tel Aviv over the weekend

Ivanka Trump (right) reappears with husband Jared Kushner (left) and Special Envoy Witkoff (center) during the ‘Bring Them Home’ rally

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the government would meet on Thursday to approve the deal and that he looked forward to the release of the hostages.

“With God’s help, we will bring them all home,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

Vice President J.D. Vance told NBC’s Kristen Welker on Meet the Press Sunday morning — correcting NBC’s previous reporting — that the United States would monitor the terms of the ceasefire but would not take action.

‘We don’t plan on putting our boots on the ground. What we already have is a U.S. Central Command. “We already have people in that part of the world,” Vance told Welker.

They will monitor the ceasefire conditions. They will monitor and control the flow of humanitarian aid. In fact, yesterday they confirmed that Israel has withdrawn to the agreed lines, which is of course the first condition.’

‘The second period is for the release of hostages. So we have people in that part of the world who will monitor parts of this peace proposal. But the president does not plan to land in Israel,” Vance confirmed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured with Trump on September 29) said the government will meet on Thursday to approve the deal and looks forward to the release of the hostages

Israelis gather in Tel Aviv to celebrate ceasefire agreement on October 11

Vice President J.D. Vance (pictured Oct. 1) said the United States would monitor ceasefire terms but not take action

American Flag covers a historic building in Tel Aviv ahead of Trump’s arrival in the city

President Donald Trump (pictured on October 10) brokered a ceasefire in Gaza

Trump is preparing to join other members of his administration and his family already in Israel.

Ivanka Trump, who has no official role in the administration and was largely absent from most political events during her father’s second term, reappeared alongside husband Jared Kushner and Special Envoy Witkoff at the ‘Bring Them Home’ rally in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square this weekend.

There, Ivanka Trump told the crowd she was “in awe” of the strength and faith of the hostages’ families “despite so much pain.”

He added that he wanted the president to share that ‘he sees you personally, hears you, and is always with you.’

Ivanka also added, “The return of each hostage is not only a moment of homecoming and relief, but also a triumph of faith, courage, and our common humanity.”