US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel on Monday to a ceremonial welcome by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog at Ben-Gurion International Airport. Accompanied by their spouses, Sara Netanyahu and Michal Herzog, the leaders marked what Trump called a “special time” in history. His visit coincides with the release of 20 Israeli hostages by Hamas as part of a ceasefire deal. Trump is expected to address the Israeli Knesset later today before traveling to Egypt for a high-level summit on Gaza’s peace process, aimed at ending the two-year-long conflict.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Israel, Trump confidently declared, “The war is over,” signaling a new phase in the Middle East peace efforts. He noted an unprecedented wave of celebrations across both Israeli and Arab communities, describing it as “something that’s never happened before.” The former US president also expressed optimism about regional unity, stating that “everybody’s cheering at one time” as nations across the Middle East rally behind the ceasefire. His comments underscore the hope that the ongoing peace process, framed by his 20-point peace plan, will bring lasting stability to the region.

The peace summit in Egypt, co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, will be attended by global leaders including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declined to attend, delegating representation to Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh. The next stage of the peace plan calls for Hamas to lay down arms as part of the broader agreement mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. Both Trump and Egyptian officials have expressed confidence that the ceasefire will hold, calling it a “turning point” in Middle East diplomacy.