(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump boldly announced, “The war is over. Okay? You understand that?” as he spoke to reporters shortly after boarding Air Force One on Sunday en route to Israel.

Trump’s trip includes a planned address to Israel’s parliament, meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and visits with the families of hostages captured on October 7, 2023. Following his Israel visit, the president will join a summit in Egypt alongside leaders from over 20 nations to discuss Gaza’s future—though notably, representatives from both Israel and Hamas will be absent.

He described the moment with palpable enthusiasm: “Everybody’s very excited about this moment in time. This is a very special event…Everybody’s cheering at one time. That’s never happened before,” Trump told reporters.

Accompanying Trump on the mission are US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and other senior administration officials.

The president also revealed details of a deal reached in late September, aiming for the recovery of all 48 remaining Israeli hostages—both deceased and alive—from Gaza. Israeli forces anticipate receiving the surviving hostages by 8 a.m. Monday from three locations within the enclave, with the bodies of the dead expected to arrive later.

In exchange, Israel has agreed to release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,700 detainees from Gaza arrested since 2023, signaling a significant, delicate step toward resolving the ongoing conflict.

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