After winning some praise for the Israel-Hamas deal, US President Donald Trump is expected to visit Jerusalem on Sunday.
As per a Times of Israel report, Trump is scheduled to land at 3:00 PM (local time) on Sunday and participate in a ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport.
The visit is reported to be brief as the US President is scheduled to take-off at 11:00 PM.
The visit comes a day after Hamas agreed to release Israeli hostages as part of the Trump-led peace deal, raising hopes of an end to a nearly 2-year-old war in Gaza.
Trump’s Israel visit: What is expected?
Donald Trump is expected to address Israel’s Knesset, as he received a call from the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who thanked him and invited him to address the Knesset.
There’s is no official word yet from the White House around Trump’s plan to speak, but on Wednesday, the US President talked about the possibility of visiting the Middle East, if the peace deal is secured.
The families of Israeli hostages also invited Trump to address an event at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv.
As per the Times of Israel report, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a letter:
We would be deeply honored if you would meet with us during your upcoming visit to Israel. We simply need the opportunity to look you in the eye and express what words alone cannot fully convey: that you gave us back our families, and with them, our hope.
Breakthrough in Gaza conflict?
Earlier, celebrations erupted in war-torn Gaza after Trump announced a significant breakthrough in the Gaza conflict with Israel and Hamas agreeing on the first phase of a peace initiative focused on a ceasefire and hostage release.
The first part of Trump’s 20-point peace plan is finally rolling out, and it’s already bringing some real change.
Under this initial phase, all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are set to be released, and Israeli troops will partially pull back to a pre-agreed boundary inside Gaza.
It’s being seen as the first concrete step toward ending a conflict that’s dragged on for over two years, claimed more than 67,000 Palestinian lives, and left hundreds of hostages.
The agreement came after intense indirect talks in Egypt, with Trump’s team working alongside mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called it a “moral and diplomatic victory,” while Hamas said they’re ready to end the fighting and let humanitarian aid flow in.
That said, there are still big questions on the table: how quickly Israel will fully withdraw, whether Hamas will disarm, and who will ultimately govern Gaza long-term.
Analysts are hopeful, but they warn that lasting peace will really depend on everyone sticking to the deal and sorting out the issues that are still unresolved.
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