Jerusalem, October 13, 2025 – U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a triumphant address to Israel's Knesset on Monday, urging the nation to seize a "diplomatic opening" for lasting peace in the wake of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza that has ended two years of devastating conflict. The speech, met with thunderous applause from most lawmakers, painted a vision of regional prosperity but sidestepped the enclave's staggering reconstruction needs and persistent international accusations of genocide against Israeli leaders. The address was briefly disrupted by two opposition lawmakers who were swiftly ejected for protesting the omission of Palestinian statehood from the emerging peace framework.
"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," Trump declared, his words echoing through the chamber as the audience rose in standing ovations. The Republican president, who has positioned the Gaza deal as a cornerstone of his foreign policy legacy, described the moment as the "historic dawn of a new Middle East." He credited his administration's relentless diplomacy – including high-stakes interventions by son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff – for brokering the agreement that halted Israel's military campaign against Hamas.
The first phase of the 20-point ceasefire plan, unveiled by Trump last month, activated on Friday at noon local time, marking the end of active hostilities that began with Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. That assault killed approximately 1,200 people – mostly civilians – and saw 251 individuals taken hostage to Gaza. In retaliation, Israel's ground and air offensive has claimed over 68,172 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza's Health Ministry figures verified by the United Nations, with women and children comprising the majority – at least 18,000 minors alone. Independent analyses suggest the true toll could exceed 80,000 when accounting for indirect deaths from disease, malnutrition, and infrastructure collapse. The war has displaced nearly 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million pre-conflict population, rendering the strip largely uninhabitable with 80% of buildings damaged or destroyed.
Trump's remarks focused on optimism, envisioning a "golden age" where former adversaries forge economic ties. "Instead of building fortresses to keep out enemies today, the nations of this region should be building infrastructure to weave your commerce closer together," he said, listing potential partnerships from Tel Aviv to Dubai, Haifa to Beirut, and Jerusalem to Damascus. He extended an olive branch to Iran, offering "the hand of friendship and cooperation," a gesture that drew murmurs from the floor but underscored his administration's broader pivot toward de-escalation after U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites earlier this year. The president also lavished praise on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a "winner" who deserved a "pardon" for his role in the conflict, and highlighted major donor Miriam Adelson's contributions to U.S.-Israel relations.
Notably absent from Trump's 45-minute oration was any reference to Gaza's reconstruction – estimated by the World Bank at $50 billion over a decade – or the International Criminal Court's ongoing probes into genocide allegations against Netanyahu and other officials. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented over 735 attacks on healthcare facilities, killing 917 and injuring 1,411, contributing to what the World Health Organization describes as a "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis. Famine has gripped northern Gaza, with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification declaring it in Phase 5 – the worst level – in August, leading to over 460 malnutrition-related deaths not captured in official tallies.
The speech's sole disruption came midway through, when Ayman Odeh, chairman of the left-wing, Arab-majority Hadash-Ta’al party, and fellow MK Ofer Cassif unfurled a banner reading "Recognize Palestine" while chanting demands for Palestinian statehood and denouncing the "Gaza genocide." Security personnel, acting on orders from Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, escorted the pair out amid chants of "Trump! Trump!" from pro-government lawmakers. Trump paused briefly, quipping, "That was very efficient," before resuming. Odeh, a Haifa native and vocal advocate for two-state coexistence, later posted on X: "They removed me from the plenum just because I raised the simplest demand... to recognize a Palestinian state. There are two peoples here, and neither is going anywhere." Cassif, Hadash's sole Jewish member and a critic of Israel's occupation policies, echoed the sentiment, stating on Facebook: "We didn’t come to disturb, but to demand justice. True peace... will only come with the end of the occupation and apartheid."
The incident highlighted deep fissures within Israel's fractious coalition. Netanyahu's government, bolstered by far-right allies like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, has long rejected unilateral Palestinian state recognition, viewing it as a security threat. Trump, who moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and recognized the Golan Heights as Israeli territory during his first term, has similarly pushed back against allies like Spain, Ireland, and Norway that extended such recognition in 2024. Yet, the U.S. president's plan envisions a "Board of Peace" – to be led by American officials – overseeing Gaza's demilitarization and governance transition, potentially to Palestinian technocrats unaffiliated with Hamas.
Earlier Monday, the ceasefire's humanitarian dividends materialized in a landmark prisoner swap. Hamas released all 20 surviving Israeli hostages – including twins Gali and Ziv Berman, abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza – via the Rafah crossing into Egypt, where they underwent medical checks before reuniting with families in Tel Aviv. In exchange, Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinians from facilities like Ofer military prison and Negev detention centers: 250 serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis, and 1,700 administrative detainees held without charge since October 2023. Buses ferried the released Palestinians to Khan Younis and the West Bank, where crowds waved victory signs amid scenes of jubilation tempered by visible signs of torture and malnutrition, as documented by the Palestinian Prisoners' Society.
The swap, mediated by the U.S., Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, adhered to Phase One of Trump's framework: Israeli withdrawal to a line controlling 53% of Gaza, immediate aid surges (including 500 trucks daily via UN channels), and Hamas's commitment to lay down arms – though verification remains contentious. A multinational force of 200 U.S.-led troops will monitor compliance, focusing on tunnel destruction and border security, without entering Gaza proper. Netanyahu hailed the deal as "what Israel had to do" post-October 7, while Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya called it a "permanent end" to the war, secured after U.S. guarantees against resumption.
As Trump departed Ben Gurion Airport, Air Force One headed south to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt's Red Sea resort, for a summit co-chaired with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Over 20 leaders – including Jordan's King Abdullah II, France's Emmanuel Macron, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italy's Giorgia Meloni, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas – convened under banners proclaiming "Peace 2025." Notably absent: Netanyahu, who declined amid domestic backlash from ultranationalists threatening coalition collapse.
The gathering, billed as the "Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit," aims to formalize Phase Two negotiations: full Israeli withdrawal, Hamas disarmament, and a $20 billion reconstruction fund seeded by Gulf states and the EU. Al-Sisi's office emphasized goals of "ending the war... and ushering in regional security," with side meetings addressing West Bank settlements and normalization pacts like the Abraham Accords' expansion to Saudi Arabia. Trump, signing a declaration alongside Erdoğan and Al-Thani, proclaimed: "The war in Gaza is over," though aides clarified Phases Two and Three – including governance handovers – hinge on compliance.
Yet, fragility looms. Thousands of Palestinians streamed north toward ruined Gaza City homes over the weekend, dodging unexploded ordnance amid "real progress" in aid deliveries, per UN reports. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed continued tunnel hunts, while Hamas fighters' presence at release sites raised disarmament doubts. Broader shadows include Iran's proxy threats and the West Bank's 1,048 Palestinian deaths since October 2023.
For Gazans like Um Ahmed, a displaced mother from Beit Lahia who lost three children to airstrikes, the ceasefire evokes cautious hope. "We've buried too many," she told Reuters amid rubble-strewn streets. "Peace means schools for my surviving son, not more graves." In Tel Aviv's Hostage Square, families reunited with tears, but advocates like the Hostages and Missing Families Forum pressed for the 28 deceased hostages' remains, still amid Gaza's debris.
Trump's whirlwind diplomacy – from White House threats of "all hell" if talks stalled to Sharm's signing ceremony – has drawn Nobel speculation, with Pakistan's nomination contested by India. Israeli media dubbed him the "Peace President," with red "Trump the Peacemaker" caps dotting the Knesset gallery. Critics, including Odeh, decry the "hypocrisy" of celebrating amid unaddressed apartheid claims.
As the summit unfolded under azure skies, al-Sisi invoked Sharm's 2005 legacy – ending the Second Intifada – vowing: "From the city of peace, enough with war. Welcome to reconstruction." Whether this "new beginning," as Trump inscribed in the Knesset guestbook, endures beyond Phase One remains the ultimate test. For now, silenced guns offer a respite, but Gaza's scars – human and structural – demand more than rhetoric to heal.
