President Donald Trump declared a “day of profound joy, of soaring hope, of renewed faith” as he addressed the Israeli Knesset on Oct. 13, touting the implementation of a cease-fire designed to conclude two years of fighting in the Gaza Strip.
As he began his remarks, the president noted the release of the last 20 surviving hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
Trump said the remains of another 28 captives are also due to be turned over to Israeli custody.
The president set expectations for a cease-fire that will hold and lead to a lasting period of peace and prosperity in the Middle East.
“This is not only the end of a war, this is the end of an age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God,” Trump said.
“It’s the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel and all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region. I believe that so strongly, this is the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
Israel and Hamas had entered into a cease-fire agreement back in January, but the planned three-phase deal collapsed in March amid disagreements over its implementation.
The latest cease-fire is also set to proceed in phases.
Israeli forces within the war-torn Gaza Strip are supposed to pull back toward the outer edges of the territory, eventually coming to a buffer zone inside Gaza’s perimeter.
The Israeli government is also set to release Palestinians it has detained over the years.
The Israeli government turned over roughly 1,900 Palestinian detainees as part of the exchange on Oct. 13.
Trump credited his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff for bringing about the current cease-fire deal.
As he went on, Trump described the past two years of conflict throughout the Middle East that followed the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.
At times, he touted the successes of both the United States and the Israeli military.
“The dagger of Hezbollah, long aimed at Israel’s throat, has been totally shattered,” the president said at one point.
Hezbollah forces began launching rockets at Israeli-controlled territory shortly after the 2023 Hamas attack, leading to a cross-border skirmish between Israel and Lebanon and eventually extensive Israeli air strikes across Lebanon and a ground incursion last year.
At another point, Trump hailed the combination of U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran in June.
Israeli forces launched a series of surprise strikes on Iran on June 13.
U.S. forces subsequently joined in shooting down retaliatory Iranian missile barrages and then struck three Iranian nuclear facilities.
“We took a big cloud off of the Middle East and off of Israel. And it was my honor to help,” Trump said of the U.S. operation against Iran.
Trump said he would like to forge a broader peace with Iran but said he would focus first on resolving the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“First, we have to get Russia done. We’ve got to get that one done. If you don’t mind, Steve, let’s focus on Russia first. We’ll get it done,” he said.
Trump urged Israeli leaders to embrace the opportunity for peace.
“Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms. You’ve won. I mean, you’ve won. Now it’s time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East,” he said.
Building on his call for peace, Trump repeatedly touted the Abraham Accords, an initiative he started during his first term in hopes of normalizing relations between Israel and a growing number of its predominantly Muslim neighboring nations.
“We’ve seen those nations that set aside their differences, reached across ancient divides, and pursued engagement are now among the most successful in the region,” Trump said.
Ahead of a planned visit to Egypt to meet with other regional leaders, Trump called for more signatories to join in the Abraham Accords.
Evgenia Filimianova contributed to this report.
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