by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – U.S. President Donald J. Trump confirmed Thursday that he will visit Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and deliver a major address to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, amid rising hopes that his proposed ceasefire plan could end the devastating war with Hamas and bring peace to the Jewish nation and the region.
Trump said his trip planned for Sunday follows “a great conversation” with Netanyahu, adding the Israeli leader was “happy — and rightfully so.”
“They want me to speak in the Knesset, and I will definitely do so if they want it that way,” Trump said in published remarks. “This is a big achievement. The whole world rallied to reach this agreement, including countries that were previously enemies.”
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi reportedly also invited Trump following the final round of ceasefire talks held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt’s Red Sea resort, after two years of mediation efforts in Cairo.
However, there was no immediate indication from the White House that Trump would visit Egypt.
BREAKTHROUGH ANNOUNCEMENT
Instead, he intends to address “the people of Israel — America’s most trusted and faithful ally in the region and the target of Iran’s seven-front war,” according to U.S. officials.
Trump said from the White House that his negotiators had achieved “a dramatic breakthrough” during talks in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Two years after Hamas invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip — killing about 1,200 civilians and soldiers and taking 251 hostages — Trump declared that both Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a peace deal.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first phase of our peace plan,” Trump said on social media.
“This means that all of the hostages will be released very soon and Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed-upon line as the first steps toward a strong, durable, and everlasting peace.”
“BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS”
Trump promised that “all parties will be treated fairly,” an apparent reassurance to Hamas that Israel’s forces would halt military operations during the exchange of hostages.
It is believed that 48 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, with roughly 20 thought to be still alive.
“This is a great day for the Arab and Muslim world, Israel, and all surrounding nations, and the United States,” Trump added. “We thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey who worked with us to make this historic and unprecedented event happen.”
The president concluded his remarks on social media with a biblical reference: “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
News of the ceasefire deal sparked cautious optimism across Israel, especially among families whose loved ones have been held captive in Gaza for 733 days.
However, questions remain about whether Hamas will fully honor the terms. “Will Hamas keep its word and really give back all the hostages — alive and dead? Will Hamas truly lay down its weapons and surrender? Can Gaza be demilitarized and rebuilt under direct supervision by the Israel Defense Forces?” asked one Israeli commentator.
For now, Trump’s planned visit and the prospect of peace have injected a rare sense of hope into a nation still mourning its losses from the October 7, 2023, massacre — the deadliest day in Israel’s modern history.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
The Trump administration has formally designated the Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras as foreign terrorist organizations, expanding the federal government’s effort to dismantle criminal networks accused of flooding American communities with illegal drugs and terrorizing populations on both sides of the southern border.
The United States has approved a proposed $1.96 billion weapons sale to Saudi Arabia as fighting intensifies across the Middle East and the kingdom faces renewed missile threats from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement.
Ukraine faced mounting political turmoil Thursday after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, triggering rare wartime protests as Russian forces intensified attacks across the country.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed sorrow Thursday after a fire swept through a state-run child welfare home in the eastern suburbs of the capital, Algiers, killing at least 11 people and injuring 19 others.
The United States carried out two waves of strikes against Iran on Wednesday, marking the fifth consecutive day of American attacks on military assets belonging to the Islamic regime as the battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz widened across the Middle East.
A majority of House Democrats casting a yes-or-no vote Wednesday supported cutting off funds designated for Israel, marking one of the clearest signs yet that the Democratic Party is shifting away from its longstanding support for the Jewish state.
Syrian security forces have intercepted a large shipment of advanced weapons near the Iraqi border that authorities said was intended for the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon.