President Donald Trump addressed Israel’s Parliament on Monday, hours after Hamas released the last 20 living hostages from Gaza and Israel began freeing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of a US-brokered cease-fire agreement.
The 20 hostages were released early Monday, marking a critical step in the deal that came into effect on Friday.
In exchange, buses carrying Palestinian prisoners departed Israeli facilities for Ramallah, where the first group of detainees arrived to cheering crowds in the West Bank city.
Trump on the Gaza deal
Speaking in the Knesset following laudatory remarks by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump was frequently interrupted by applause and cheers.
He described the cease-fire as “not only the end of a war” but also “the end of the age of terror and death,” adding, “This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
Trump called Netanyahu his “partner,” adding, “He’s not the easiest guy to deal with, but that’s what makes him great.”
The cease-fire, however, has not formally ended the war, and major uncertainties remain over Gaza’s future.
Chief among them is whether Hamas will comply with Netanyahu’s demand to disarm, a question expected to dominate discussions at an international summit in Egypt later Monday.
The Egyptian government confirmed that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas would attend the summit.
Netanyahu, however, was not expected to participate, with his office citing the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.
Among both Israelis and Palestinians, the truce and prisoner exchange offered a measure of relief after two years of conflict.
In Ramallah, crowds gathered to welcome released Palestinian prisoners.
Footage showed men stepping off buses from Israel’s Ofer Prison, many wearing keffiyehs and raising victory signs as they were met by throngs of supporters.
Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel killed around 1,200 people and led to the abduction of about 250 others.
Israel’s military response left roughly 67,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza health authorities.
Protest at Trump’s speech
The session was briefly interrupted when two left-wing lawmakers from a joint Palestinian-Israeli party displayed signs reading
“Recognize Palestine!” Security officers swiftly escorted them out as the remaining members applauded to divert attention.
Resuming his remarks, Trump quipped, “That was very efficient.”
הוציאו אותי מהמליאה רק כי העליתי את הדרישה הפשוטה ביותר, דרישה שכל הקהילה הבינלאומית מסכימה עליה:
להכיר במדינה פלסטינית.
להכיר במציאות הפשוטה הזו:
יש כאן שני עמים, ואף אחד לא זז מכאן.
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One of the ejected lawmakers, Ayman Odeh, later posted on X, saying, “They removed me from the plenum just because I raised the simplest demand, a demand that the entire international community agrees on: To recognize a Palestinian state. To recognize this simple reality.”
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