The US President, Donald Trump, has praised the ceasefire agreement to end the war in Gaza, calling it the “historic dawn” of a new Middle East.
During his address to the Israeli Parliament (Knesset), Trump declared that the ceasefire deal marks the end of the war in Gaza.
“This is not only the end of a war. This is the end of the age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God,” he said.
Nightmare Over
“It’s the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel, and all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region. I believe that, so strongly. This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East,” Trump noted.
Amid cheers from Knesset members, the US President expressed happiness about the return of the Israeli hostages. “Now, at last, not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and for many others, the long and painful nightmare is finally over,” he said.
US Support for Israel
Trump also said pointed to the US military support for Israel during the war, saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him “so many times” asking for weapons.
“You used them well. So many that Israel became strong and powerful, which ultimately led to peace. That’s what led to peace,” Trump added.
During his speech, the left-wing Israeli Knesset member, Ayman Odeh, started shouting, carrying a sign reading “Recognize Palestine.”
He was quickly removed from the hall, with Trump saying “That was very efficient.”
Arab States Role
The US President thanked Arab and Islamic countries for supporting peace efforts, pressuring Hamas to accept the ceasefire agreement and expressing readiness to contribute to rebuilding Gaza, adding that he wants to play a role in Gaza reconstruction efforts.
“I want to thank the Arab and Muslim nations for their commitment that they’ve made to support a safe rebuilding of Gaza. And beyond that, many Arab countries, very wealthy countries. They came up and said we’ll put up tremendous amounts of money to get … to rebuild Gaza. And I think that’s going to happen,” Trump said.
Iran Deal on the Table
Furthermore, Trump praised his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who played a crucial role in mediating the ceasefire talks. “He’s a great negotiator, because he’s a great guy,” Trump said.
The US President also suggested there could be more peace deals coming with Iran and Russia. It would be great if we could make a peace deal with them (Iran),” he said.
“First we have to get Russia done,” he noted.
“To Iran, and as you know, this is not said out of weakness. There’s no weakness. But I’m going to say this, that we are ready when you are, and it will be the best decision that Iran has ever made,” Trump later added.
Sharm Al-Sheikh Summit
Trump will head to Egypt to co-host the Sharm Al-Sheikh Peace Summit, alongside the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. The summit will witness an official signing ceremony for Trump’s peace plan, marking the implementation of the agreement’s first phase.
World leaders from more than 30 countries are arriving in Egypt to take part in the summit and support peace efforts to end the war in Gaza.
