By Ayomide Otitoju
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday declared that the “war is over in Gaza” as he departed Washington for a high-stakes peace trip to Israel and Egypt, following a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, the 79-year-old president dismissed doubts over the durability of the ceasefire, asserting confidence that hostilities had ended.
“The war is over. Okay? You understand that?” Trump said when asked if he believed the conflict between Israel and Hamas was truly finished.
“I think it’s going to hold. I think people are tired of it. It’s been centuries,” he added.
During his visit to Israel, Trump is expected to meet families of hostages abducted by Hamas during its October 7, 2023 attacks and to address the Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem. He will then travel to Egypt, where he and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are set to co-host a summit involving more than 20 world leaders to support his proposed 20-point Middle East peace plan, unveiled in late September.
Describing the visit as a “very special event,” Trump said from Joint Base Andrews before takeoff that the world was “very excited about this moment in time.” Accompanying him are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine.
Trump’s plan seeks to consolidate the fragile ceasefire and pave the way for a new governing authority in Gaza — one he said would be established “very quickly.” The U.S. leader claimed to have secured “verbal guarantees” from both sides and other regional stakeholders regarding the implementation of the peace deal.
“We have a lot of verbal guarantees, and I don’t think they’re going to want to disappoint me,” Trump said, adding that his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “very good,” despite past disagreements.
Trump also expressed interest in visiting Gaza “eventually,” saying, “I’d be proud to. I’d like to put my feet on it at least,” though no timeline was provided due to ongoing security challenges.
While discussing international cooperation, Trump appeared to reconsider his earlier proposal to include former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair in the peace process. “I’ve always liked Tony,” he said, “but I want to find out that he’s an acceptable choice to everybody.”
The trip marks Trump’s first major overseas engagement since the Gaza peace deal, signaling his intent to solidify his administration’s role as the principal broker of what he has called “a new era of Middle East stability.”
