Trump says ‘war is over’ in Gaza as he flies to Israel for release of hostages

US President Donald Trump said “the war is over” as he went to Israel to release the hostages in Gaza within the scope of the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas.

Speaking on board Air Force One, he said the ceasefire would hold and a “board of peace” would quickly be set up for Gaza, which he said looked like a “demolition site”.

He also praised the roles of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar, one of the mediators.

The deadline for Hamas to release all hostages held in Gaza is at noon local time (10:00 BST). Later Monday, Trump will travel to Egypt for an international summit aimed at ending the war.

The war was triggered by attacks led by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 people were taken hostage.

The Hamas-run health ministry has announced that more than 67,000 Palestinians, including more than 18,000 children, have been killed since then as a result of Israel’s military intervention.

The ceasefire in Gaza took effect Friday morning after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a 20-point peace plan brokered by Trump; the next stages are still to be negotiated.

20 of the Israeli hostages are believed to be alive, and Hamas is expected to hand over the remains of the 28 dead hostages.

Israel should also release approximately 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees from Gaza and allow greater amounts of aid to enter the Strip. An Israeli government spokesman said the living hostages would be released once they reached Israeli territory.

Trump told reporters the ceasefire “will hold,” adding that “everybody’s happy and I think it’s going to stay that way.”

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of Israelis attended a rally in Tel Aviv and expressed their gratitude to the US leader.

It may be difficult to agree on many details of the next stages of the peace plan, such as the management of Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the disarmament of Hamas.

Trump will travel to Israel on Monday, where he will address the Knesset, the country’s parliament.

He will then travel with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to lead the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Egypt’s foreign ministry said it was expected to sign “a document ending the war in the Gaza Strip”.

Leaders from more than 20 countries are expected to attend, including British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that after the hostages are returned, the army will destroy the underground tunnels built by Hamas in Gaza.

Aid trucks began entering Gaza on Sunday and hundreds of people were queuing at the border.

Palestinians gathered around convoys arriving in Khan Younis, south of Gaza.

Speaking to the BBC earlier on Sunday, Unicef’s James Elder said dozens of trucks had entered the Strip but this did not meet the quantity needed.

The UN estimates that at least 600 aid trucks are needed every day to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

In August, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared famine in parts of the region, including Gaza City.

But Israel rejects the IPC report and its foreign ministry says the conclusions are “based on Hamas lies.” Israeli military aid agency Cogat said the report ignored “extensive humanitarian efforts being carried out in Gaza”.

Palestinians who returned to northern Gaza described scenes of devastation, with many finding their homes reduced to rubble. Rescue teams warned that there may be unexploded ordnance and bombs in the area.

Amjad Al Shawa, who heads a Palestinian organization that coordinates with aid groups, estimates that 300,000 tents are needed to temporarily shelter 1.5 million displaced Gazans.

According to local sources, Hamas has recalled approximately 7,000 security force members to reassert control over areas of Gaza recently evacuated by Israeli troops.

At least 27 people were killed in violent clashes between Hamas security forces and armed members of the Dughmush family in Gaza City; this is one of the most violent internal conflicts since the end of major Israeli operations in the region.