US President Donald Trump has said “the war is over” as he travels to Israel for the release of hostages from Gaza under the ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and Hamas.
Trump will land in Israel on Monday, where he will address the country’s parliament the Knesset.
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 the hostages it is still holding in Gaza is midday local time (10:00 BST). Later on Monday, Trump will travel to Egypt for an international summit aiming to end the war.
The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
Since then, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s military response, including more than 18,000 children, the Hamas-run health ministry says.
The ceasefire in Gaza took effect on Friday morning after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of the 20-point peace plan brokered by Trump, with the next phases still to be negotiated.
Twenty of the Israeli hostages are believed to be alive, and Hamas is also due to hand over the remains of up to 28 deceased hostages.
Israel should also release around 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees from Gaza, while increased amounts of aid should enter the Strip. An Israeli government spokesperson said they would be released once the living hostages reach Israeli territory.
When asked by the BBC whether he believed the ceasefire would hold, he said it would, adding “everybody is happy, and I think it’s going to stay that way”.
On his peace skills, Trump said: “I’m good at solving wars. I’m good at making peace.”
Asked if he would ever visit Gaza, Trump said he would. “I’d like to put my feet on it, at least.” Trump said he thought Gaza would be a “miracle” over the coming decades.
He added that the region would soon “normalise,” with a planned supervisory body – the Board of Peace – to be established “very quickly” to oversee Gaza.
On Saturday hundreds of thousands of Israelis attended a rally in Tel Aviv and chanted their gratitude to the US leader.
Trump will land in Israel on Monday, where he will address the country’s parliament the Knesset.
He will then travel to lead a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh alongside Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Egypt’s foreign ministry said a “document ending the war in the Gaza Strip” was expected to be signed.
Leaders from more than 20 countries are expected to attend, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
