Trump arrives for his day of destiny: This has ‘never happened before’, he says as he flies in to see Israeli hostages released by Hamas under his peace deal

The eyes of the world are on Gaza, where 20 Israeli men who have survived as Hamas captives for two years are expected to be released on Monday morning.

They are the last surviving hostages kidnapped during Islamist terrorist attacks that triggered a horrific two-year war.

There will be no handover ceremony as the Red Cross is sending ten vehicles to Gaza to take the men back to safety.

As Donald Trump heads to Israel to see the peace deal through, Hamas has also been ordered to release the bodies of 28 hostages – but concerns are growing that some have gone missing.

The president flew to Tel Aviv after helping broker peace between Israel and Hamas two years after the terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023.

It will first arrive in the Israeli city on Monday afternoon and is scheduled to land just after 9 a.m. local time.

Aboard Air Force One, Trump said he was hopeful the hostages could be released sooner than expected, adding: ‘They’ve got hostages – I understand they’ve got 20 of them – and we can get them out a little bit sooner.

‘It was really amazing to get them because we were involved and they were in places you don’t want to know about.’

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer arrives at Sharm El Sheikh International Airport ahead of the Sharm El Sheikh Peace Summit in Egypt

Palestinians walk among destroyed buildings in Gaza City on Sunday, October 12, 2025

People listen to songs played on a piano in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 12, 2025

He also addressed reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, just before boarding, while standing under an umbrella swinging in the persistent wind.

‘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.

Speaking on Sunday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday was the “beginning of a new path.”

He told relatives of the remaining hostages that their release was “a historic event that some did not believe would happen.”

He added: ‘Together we will continue to win, and together with God’s help we will ensure the eternity of the land of Israel and its land.’

Hamas confirmed Sunday night that all surviving hostages had been moved to three different locations in the Gaza Strip for release.

While special forces were ready to intervene if the gangs tried to attack them, the Israel Defense Forces warned that any provocation or deviation from the plan would be responded to.

After 738 days in captivity, the hostages were expected to be taken to Re’im military base in southern Israel, where medical teams could evaluate them before meeting their families.

Those in the worst condition would be taken by helicopter to hospitals near Tel Aviv.

Trump gives thumbs up as he boards Air Force One en route to Israel

The president waves as he boards a plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland

Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) upon his arrival at the White House on September 29, 2025 in Washington.

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

President Trump will arrive in Israel on Monday morning to deliver a historic speech to celebrate the end of the war.

Sir Keir Starmer will also attend the peace summit in Egypt, where he is expected to heap praise on Mr Trump and the diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye.

It is also expected to announce £20 million in aid for water, sanitation and hygiene services. Times reports.

Ilan Dalal, the father of hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal, told Israeli media on Sunday night that the first thing he would do when he saw his son was “hug him, smell him and tell him the nightmare is over.”

‘I don’t know what kind of son I’ll have back, and I hope he won’t be too damaged to rebuild his life,’ she said.

Israel said that after accounting for all the inhabitants of Re’im, they would ‘start the engines’ of the vehicles that took the first 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and terrorists to freedom.

Meanwhile, Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine is preparing to identify the remains of 28 hostages and determine their causes of death.

‘We want to understand what happened to provide families with full information, closure and information,’ said Dr Chen Kugel.

During the last ceasefire, Hamas cruelly sent back the wrong body in exchange for a hostage.

The group is also pushing for the release of high-profile terrorists, including Marwan Barghouti, although Israel denies this.

They reportedly offered the early release of the hostages if Netanyahu agreed to give them Barghouti, but they were rejected.

Mr Trump was due to land in Tel Aviv at 7am UK time before his motorcade heads via Route 1 to Jerusalem, where he will deliver a historic speech to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.

He will also meet with the families of the freed hostages before returning via the same route to Ben Gurion Airport and departing for a summit in Egypt to discuss the future of Gaza.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced that he will award the American leader the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, the country’s highest civilian honor. Sir Keir is among the world leaders who will attend the meeting at a time when the world hopes for an uneasy peace to continue.

He will say: ‘We are determined to seize this opportunity to deliver lasting peace and a stable, secure future for the whole region… The UK will support the next phase of talks to ensure the full implementation of the peace plan so that people on both sides can rebuild their lives in safety and security.’

But Sir Keir will have bridges to build after Israeli deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel rejected Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson’s claim that Britain played a ‘key role’ in the ceasefire agreement.

IDF chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir declared “victory” against Hamas on Sunday, praising the military crackdown and a “complementary diplomatic move” to end the war.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the Israeli Defense Forces were instructed to destroy all remaining Hamas tunnels in Gaza.

The terrorist group has agreed to give up all control of the Gaza Strip, a source told AFP news agency. However, shocking images yesterday showed armed gangs, who reportedly executed Hamas’ rivals in the streets on the grounds that they cooperated with Israel, engaging in clashes in Gaza City.

At least 27 people were killed in clashes between Hamas and armed militias, the BBC reported Sunday night.

The 20-item peace plan states that Israel should maintain an open-ended military presence along the border in Gaza.

An international force consisting largely of soldiers from Arab and Muslim countries will be responsible for the security of the region.

The Israeli military has said it will continue defensive operations in the approximately 50 percent of Gaza it still controls after withdrawing to agreed lines.

There are no plans to send British troops to the multinational force to monitor the ceasefire.