Trump said ‘the war is over’ in Gaza as he flew to Israel to seek hostage release.

U.S. President Donald Trump said “the war is over” while visiting Israel to secure the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip under the ceasefire agreement agreed between Israel and Hamas.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, he said the ceasefire would remain in place and that a “peace council” for Gaza would be quickly established. He said it looked like a “demolition site.”

He also praised the role of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar as one of the mediators.

The deadline for Hamas to release all hostages still being held in Gaza is noon local time (BST). Later Monday, Trump is scheduled to travel to Egypt for an international summit aimed at ending the war.

The war was triggered by Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostage.

Since then, Israel’s military response has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, including more than 18,000 children, the Hamas-run health ministry said.

The ceasefire in Gaza went into effect Friday morning after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a 20-point peace plan brokered by President Trump, with the next phase still being negotiated.

It is believed that 20 of the Israeli hostages are alive, and Hamas also plans to hand over the remains of up to 28 dead hostages.

Israel must also release about 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees in the Gaza Strip and increase the amount of aid it provides to the Strip. An Israeli government spokesman said the living hostages would be released once they reached Israeli territory.

Asked by the BBC whether he believed the truce would hold, Trump said: “Everyone is happy. I think it will stay in place.”

He said of his peace skills, “I am good at resolving wars. I am good at making peace.”

When asked whether he would visit Gaza, President Trump responded, “I will.” “I’d like to at least get on my feet.” Trump said he thought Gaza would be a ‘miracle’ for decades to come.

He added that the region would soon be “back to normal” through the Peace Council, an oversight body that would be established “very quickly” to oversee the Gaza Strip.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis attended a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday to express their gratitude to the American leader.

It may be difficult to reach agreement on many details of the later stages of the peace plan (e.g. governance of Gaza, scope of Israeli troop withdrawal, disarmament of Hamas, etc.).

President Trump is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Monday and address the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.

He will then travel with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to lead a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said a document ending the war in Gaza was expected to be signed.

Leaders from more than 20 countries, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, are scheduled to attend.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Egypt had invited Tehran to the summit, but “neither President Fezeshkian nor I can have contact with an opponent who attacks the Iranian people and continues to threaten and sanction us.”

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Defense Minister Israel Katz said once the hostages are returned, the military will destroy underground tunnels in Gaza built by Hamas.

Aid trucks began entering Gaza on Sunday, with hundreds lining up at the border.

Palestinians gathered around the convoy as it arrived in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

UNICEF’s James Elder told the BBC on Sunday morning that dozens of trucks had entered the Strip, but not at the level needed.

The United Nations estimates that at least 600 aid trucks will be needed every day to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Last August, the Integrated Food Security Category (IPC) declared famine in parts of the country, including the Gaza Strip.

But Israel rejected the IPC report, with the Foreign Office saying the conclusions were “based on lies by Hamas.” Kogart, Israel’s military aid agency, said the report ignored “the extensive humanitarian efforts undertaken in Gaza.”

Palestinians who have returned to northern Gaza have described desolate scenes, with many describing their homes reduced to ruins. Rescue workers warned that there could be unexploded ordnance and bombs in the area.

Amjad Al Shawa, head of a Palestinian organization that works with aid groups, estimated that 300,000 tents would be needed to temporarily accommodate 1.5 million Gaza refugees.

According to local sources, Hamas has recalled around 7,000 security forces to reassert control over areas of Gaza from which Israeli forces recently withdrew.

At least 27 people have been killed in violent clashes between Hamas security forces and armed members of the Dugmush clan in Gaza City. This is one of the most violent internal confrontations since the end of Israel’s major operation in Gaza.