By Barth Ikiebe
US President, Donald Trump has received a standing ovation from the Israeli Parliament across the spectrum, after all living Israeli hostages regained freedom and were reunited with their families and loved ones.
The Israeli Parliament hailed the current peace move that resulted in a ceasefire, with Hamas freeing all living Israeli hostages and Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners, under the implementation of the first phase of Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
Speaking to a full chamber in Jerusalem, Trump said it was “a great honor” to stand before the lawmakers.
“Today is a day to give thanks to the almighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” Trump added.
Referencing the peace deal after two years of war, Trump remarked : “Today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace.”
The President praised the bravery of the 20 living hostages who were reunited with their families earlier in the day, calling them “symbols of courage, survival, and the unbreakable spirit of the Israeli people.”
Trump was optimistic about the peace agreement ushering a lasting transformation for the region. “May this region live in peace for all eternity. It is not only the end of war, it is also the end of an age of terror and death, and the beginning of an age of faith, hope, and of God”, the US President noted.
He further described the new era of cooperation between Israel and its neighbors as “the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
“This is an age of concord, a time when enemies become partners and faith triumphs over fear,” he added.
The 20 remaining living hostages in Gaza were returned to Israel earlier on Monday after two years of war. The bodies of 28 hostages who are presumed dead are still being awaited. 250 Palestinian prisoners and detainees from Gaza held by Israel since the October 7 2023 Hamas terrorist attack, have also been released.
According to reports, Emotional scenes unfolded as the freed hostages reunited with their families in hospitals across Israel. Palestinian prisoners were also reported to have met with their relatives in the West Bank.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has arrived in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he is expected to preside over a deal signing ceremony that involves other world leaders.
Sharm el-Sheikh is where representatives from Israel, Hamas and the United States met last week for the finalization of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
The US presidential plane, Air Force One, was reported to have been escorted into the area by Egyptian fighter jets.
Trump will be presiding over a summit involving 20 Heads of State where a deal is expected to be signed.
The President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Freidrich Merz, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, among others, are expected to be present in the summit alongside President Trump.
