US President Donald Trump has declared a “tremendous day for the Middle East” after Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement, marking a major step toward ending two years of conflict in Gaza.
The historic deal, which included the exchange of hostages and prisoners, was followed by the signing of a peace declaration by Trump and key regional leaders.
The US president made a surprise visit to Israel, where he addressed parliament and praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his role in achieving the truce. Trump later traveled to Egypt for a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, where he met with leaders from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey to sign the declaration as guarantors of the Gaza peace accord.
“This is a tremendous day for the world, it’s a tremendous day for the Middle East,” Trump said at the summit, attended by over two dozen world leaders. “We have achieved what everybody said was impossible. At long last, we have peace in the Middle East.”
According to the declaration, signatories pledged to “pursue a comprehensive vision of peace, security, and shared prosperity in the region” and acknowledged “the progress achieved in establishing comprehensive and durable peace arrangements in the Gaza Strip.”
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who hosted the summit, described the Gaza peace deal as one that “closes a painful chapter in human history” and sets the stage for a long-awaited two-state solution.
As part of the agreement, Hamas released the last 20 surviving Israeli hostages after two years of captivity, while Israel freed 1,968 mostly Palestinian prisoners. The Israeli prison service confirmed the releases, describing the event as a significant humanitarian gesture on both sides.
“For so many families across this land, it has been years since you’ve known a single day of true peace,” Trump said during his earlier address to Israel’s parliament, drawing a lengthy standing ovation. “Not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and for many others, the long and painful nightmare is finally over.”
Across the region, emotional scenes unfolded. In Tel Aviv, crowds erupted in cheers and tears as freed hostages reunited with their families. In Ramallah, thousands of Palestinians gathered to welcome home prisoners, chanting “Allahu Akbar” in jubilation. And in Gaza’s Khan Yunis, residents climbed onto slow-moving Red Cross buses to greet loved ones returning after years behind bars.
Israel’s foreign ministry wrote “Welcome home,” as the nation celebrated the safe return of the hostages. In a video released by the Israeli military, one mother, Einav Zangauker, cried out to her son, “My life, you are my life… you are a hero,” as they embraced for the first time in years.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas is also expected to return the bodies of 27 deceased hostages and the remains of a soldier killed in the 2014 Gaza conflict. The Israeli army said that four bodies had already been handed over to the Red Cross and transported back to Israel.
Of the nearly 2,000 prisoners released by Israel, about 250 were security detainees, many convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis, while roughly 1,700 were captured during the Gaza war.
The 2023 Hamas-led assault on Israel, which triggered the conflict, resulted in 1,219 deaths, mostly civilians, and the abduction of 251 hostages. According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 67,869 people have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory campaign, figures the United Nations considers credible.
In Gaza, relief and sorrow blended as families reunited amid the ruins. “The greatest joy is seeing my whole family gathered to welcome me,” said 25-year-old Yusef Afana, a released prisoner from northern Gaza. “I spent 10 months in prison, some of the hardest days I’ve ever lived.”
In Ramallah, newly freed prisoner Mahdi Ramadan described his release as “a new birth,” overwhelmed by emotion as a cheering crowd surrounded him.
While the ceasefire has been widely hailed as a breakthrough, major obstacles remain. Hamas has yet to agree to disarm, and Israel has not committed to a full withdrawal from Gaza. Still, Trump expressed optimism, stating that talks on the next steps of his 20-point Gaza peace plan “have already started.”
He briefly met Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas during the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, which neither Israel nor Hamas officially attended, before departing in the evening.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem urged Trump and other mediators to “continue monitoring Israel’s conduct and ensure it does not resume its aggression against our people.”
What you should know
The Gaza ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump marks the end of two years of war, with Hamas releasing hostages and Israel freeing prisoners.
While the agreement has sparked global relief, unresolved issues, including Hamas’s disarmament and Israel’s military stance, still threaten long-term peace stability.
