JERUSALEM — U.S. President Donald Trump is set to receive a hero’s welcome at Israel’s parliament on Monday as a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, brokered under his mediation, enters its fourth day. The truce coincides with the long-awaited return of Israeli hostages and the release of Palestinian prisoners, signaling tentative progress in a conflict that has resisted resolution for decades.
Trump’s address to the Knesset follows two years of war triggered by a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 others taken hostage. In retaliation, Israeli strikes and ground assaults devastated the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 67,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza health officials.
“The war is over,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One before departing Washington. When asked about the region’s future, he added, “I think it’s going to normalize.”
The United Nations confirmed that humanitarian aid to Gaza was expanding, including the first deliveries of cooking gas since March, as well as increased shipments of food and medical supplies.
Despite Trump’s optimism, the destruction and loss of life underscored how elusive lasting peace remains. Further progress may hinge on commitments expected to emerge from a summit later Monday in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh resort, where Trump will meet more than 20 world leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. No Israeli officials are expected to attend, Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said.
Bedrosian also confirmed that the remaining Israeli hostages would begin returning home early Monday, with 20 survivors released together, followed by the repatriation of 28 bodies. In exchange, Israel plans to release 1,700 Palestinian detainees, including 22 minors, and the bodies of 360 militants once all hostages are safely returned.
In Gaza, returning residents described scenes of catastrophic destruction.
“We couldn’t believe the devastation,” said Rami Mohammad-Ali, 37, who walked 15 kilometers (9 miles) with his son from Deir Al Balah to Gaza City. “We are joyful to return, but bitter about the destruction,” he added, recalling human remains scattered along the roads.
At Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square on Saturday, large crowds gathered to cheer Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, while loudly booing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when Witkoff attempted to thank him for his role in the ceasefire.
Trump will become only the fourth U.S. president to address the Knesset, after Jimmy Carter in 1979, Bill Clinton in 1994, and George W. Bush in 2008. In a letter inviting Trump, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana wrote, “The people of Israel regard you as the greatest friend and ally of the Jewish nation in modern history.”
Netanyahu, facing mounting criticism and legal challenges, addressed the nation on Sunday. “Tomorrow is the beginning of a new path. A path of building, a path of healing, and I hope a path of uniting hearts,” he said in a televised statement.
The U.S., along with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, facilitated the ceasefire’s first phase, with Trump’s broader plan envisioning an international “Board of Peace” led by him and joined by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to oversee Gaza’s post-war governance.
However, several key issues remain unresolved, including how Gaza will be administered and the fate of Hamas, which rejects Israel’s disarmament demands. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry announced it would deploy security forces in areas vacated by the Israeli army. However, it was unclear whether armed militants would reappear a move Israel warned would be seen as a provocation.
Israel and Hamas continued tense, indirect negotiations over the list of Palestinian prisoners eligible for release. Hamas sources said Israel had reneged on an earlier agreement to include senior militant leaders. The Israeli Justice Ministry confirmed 250 prisoners convicted of murder and other serious crimes were slated for release, but excluded high-profile figures such as Marwan Barghouti and Ahmed Saadat.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that once the hostages were returned, the military would resume operations to destroy Hamas’s underground tunnel network.
Palestinian political analyst Akram Attallah told Reuters in Cairo that Trump’s peace plan heavily favored Israel.
“If they choose to backtrack, they can find excuses and blame Hamas. Meanwhile, Hamas, the weaker party, loses all leverage once it hands over the hostages,” Attallah said.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
