Trump signs ceasefire deal after hostage-prisoner swap

President Trump addressed the Israeli Parliament after all 20 remaining hostages alive in Gaza returned to Israel, closing a chapter in the two-year war. “We gather on a day of profound joy, of soaring hope,” he said, later adding that international pressure had played a part in bringing about the cease-fire.

Trump later flew to Egypt for a summit with leaders from the Middle East and Europe to push forward his broader proposal to end the war and rebuild the Gaza Strip. Israel and Hamas are expected to begin negotiating a peace deal that would see the terrorist group disarm and give up power in Gaza.

After mediators and President Trump signed a document ending the war in Gaza on Monday, the president claimed that “everyone will want to join the Abraham Accords.” This comes after Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey signed a document with Trump on the Gaza ceasefire deal on Monday night. 

Before signing, Trump called the document “very comprehensive” and said that it would outline the rules and regulations for the future of the Gaza Strip. He later said that reconstruction in Gaza would require Hamas to be demilitarized. 

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a meeting on Monday with the presidents of France and Turkey, Qatar’s emir, and others to help coordinate the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire and reconstruction efforts for the enclave, according to a statement by the Egyptian president’s office.

Trump praised Sisi on Monday as the two leaders appeared together before an international summit on the Gaza deal. “He played a very important role. I appreciate it very much,” Trump said of Sisi, whom he called a powerful leader who keeps crime down in his country.

If the peace deal holds, this will be a major victory for President Trump, and a positive part of his legacy that will always be remembered.