U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday declared the war in the Middle East is over, as he embarked on a trip to the region to finalize a peace deal for Gaza.
Trump arrived in Tel Aviv earlier Monday to mark the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas after more than two years in captivity.
Arriving at the Israeli parliament where he was set to address lawmakers, Trump told reporters that Hamas will disarm, according to comments reported by Reuters. When asked whether the war was over, he told reporters “yes.”
Greeted with a trumpet fanfare, standing ovation and cheers in the Knesset, Trump delivered a speech in which he said that the “long and painful nightmare” was finally over for both the Israelis and Palestinians. Trump said America joined its ally in two “everlasting vows”: “Never forget, and never again.”
Signaling a conciliatory mood, the president said the ceasefire was “a very exciting time for Israel and the Middle East” and noted Israel had won all it could “by force of arms.” It was time, he insisted, to turn those efforts into peace and prosperity.
