JERUSALEM (Oct 14) — US President Donald Trump told cheering Israeli lawmakers on Monday that “this is the historic dawn of a new Middle East,” after brokering a ceasefire that ended two years of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
In the first address by a US president to the Knesset since 2008, Trump declared it “a day of profound joy after two harrowing years,” as the last 20 hostages held by Hamas were released under the truce agreement.
Israel, in turn, freed 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 other detainees arrested during its Gaza military operations. The exchange marked the final phase of the US-brokered ceasefire, which took effect on Friday as part of Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
‘The End of a War, the Dawn of a New Age’
Flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump was greeted with chants of “Trump, Trump, Trump” from Israeli lawmakers wearing red caps emblazoned with “Trump the Peace President.”
“This day represents not only the end of a war,” Trump said, “but the beginning of what will soon be a magnificent new era for this region.”
His remarks echoed the language he used during his first presidency, when he brokered normalization deals between Israel and several Arab states.
Netanyahu called Trump “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House,” and thanked him for his “unremitting help” in securing the return of the hostages, who were part of a group of 251 Israelis seized during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks in southern Israel.
“Everything changed when Trump was re-elected,” Netanyahu said, adding that the US administration’s “attitude toward Israel’s right to defend itself became stronger than ever.”
Trump responded warmly: “He’s not the easiest guy to deal with, but that’s what makes him great,” drawing laughter from lawmakers.
Peace Summit in Egypt
The American president is now headed to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, for a regional peace summit alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other world leaders. The summit aims to finalize the next stages of the peace framework, including Gaza’s reconstruction and regional security guarantees.
Before landing in Israel, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that “the war is over” and that a ‘Board of Peace’ — chaired by him — would soon oversee Gaza’s transition.
Also attending the Knesset address were US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and key negotiator, accompanied by Ivanka Trump.
While the Knesset erupted in celebration, some right-wing lawmakers who opposed the ceasefire boycotted the session, arguing the truce would leave Hamas intact.
Still, Speaker of Parliament Amir Ohana hailed Trump as “the most deserving candidate for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize.”
The address capped a whirlwind diplomatic push by the Trump administration that saw the release of all remaining hostages, a halt to Israeli bombardments, and the first major step toward restoring stability to Gaza after two years of devastation.