Trump Takes A Victory Lap In The Middle East After “Historic Breakthrough”

US President Donald Trump is on a high as he takes a victory lap to the Middle East, for what he has dubbed a “historic breakthrough” and an end to what others describe as Israel’s genocidal war on the people of Gaza.

The first part of the US 20-point peace plan is now being implemented, with Israeli hostages back home and over 200 Palestinians freed from Israeli prisons. Simultaneously, supply trucks are rolling into Gaza to bring much-needed humanitarian aid to the long-suffering population of the enclave.

Trump’s visit to the region has turned into both a celebration and a reminder of his role in getting Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right cabinet to stop the Israeli war machine. But this is just the beginning, and the situation could unravel just as quickly.

The promise of an elusive Nobel Peace Prize next year may help keep the US leader focused on the job at hand. Israel has promised to campaign for his nomination for the Nobel next year while conferring upon him Israel’s highest honour. The worry is that much of the 20-point peace plan has yet to be negotiated, and bringing everyone on board is quite a task. But for now, the mood is celebratory.

President Trump landed in Tel Aviv to a red-carpet welcome, even as the first Israeli hostages were released by Hamas. Families of the hostages, who had kept the pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring back their loved ones, were delighted with what is believed to be Trump’s arm-twisting of the Israeli leader to agree to a ceasefire.

Last evening, when Steve Witkoff, the US Middle East envoy, Jared Kushner — Trump’s son-in-law who played an important behind-the-scenes role — and his wife Ivanka Trump addressed the crowd in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, they were enthusiastically welcomed. The families of the hostages had long given up on Netanyahu. When Steve Witkoff mentioned the Prime Minister’s name, the crowd booed, while the mention of Trump led to enthusiastic cheers.

“Tonight we celebrate something extraordinary, a moment that many thought was impossible. Yet here we stand, living proof that when courage meets conviction, miracles can happen. A peace born not out of politics, but out of courage — the courage of those who refuse to give up hope,” Witkoff told the crowd.

Family members of Matan Angrest, 22, an IDF soldier who was captured by Hamas, are reported by The Israel Times as saying: “We can breathe again. Our Matan is home. Our beloved boy has been returned to us after two complex years, and we are so proud of him… A huge, historic, eternal thank you to the President of the United States and his team who worked with dedication and persistence for the rescue and return of our loved ones.”

In Tel Aviv, Trump addressed Parliament — or the Knesset, as it is called. His speech was repeatedly interrupted by standing ovations from lawmakers. There was one member, possibly of an orthodox religious group, who interrupted the proceedings but was quickly taken away.

Trump waxed eloquent on peace, as he thanked those involved, including Witkoff, Kushner, Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio, as well as Gulf leaders: “Today the skies are calm, guns are silent, sirens are still, the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace,” adding that “The hostages are back! It feels so good to say that.” And again: “This is not only the end of war — this is the end of an age of terror and death,” Trump said. “Like the U.S.A. right now, it will be the golden age of Israel and the golden age of the Middle East.”

The US leader also said that Benjamin Netanyahu is "not the easiest guy to deal with," but added that he is a “great guy.”

He advised Netanyahu to end the war and said Israel has scored a decisive victory. "Israel, with our help, has won all that it can by force of arms. Now it's time to translate those victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East," Trump continued.

He claimed that nearly every country in the region supported the plan to end the war, which would ensure that "Israel's security will no longer be threatened in any way, shape or form."

From Tel Aviv, Trump is flying to the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, where he and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi are co-hosting a summit of around 20 world leaders. The aim of the peace summit is to end Israel’s war on Gaza, enhance efforts to stabilise the region, and usher in a new “era of regional security and stability,” according to a release from the Egyptian presidency.

High-profile attendees include UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Council President António Costa, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II. Others attending are Kuwait’s Prime Minister Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a last-minute invitation but chose to send junior foreign minister Kirti Vardhan Singh in his place.

Benjamin Netanyahu, notably, is not accompanying Trump to Egypt.