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 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Israeli officials are preparing to brief President Donald Trump on new military options against Iran when he meets later this month with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, amid growing concern that Tehran is rapidly rebuilding its ballistic missile program and restoring damaged air defenses, according to an NBC News exclusive citing a person with direct knowledge of the plans and multiple former U.S. officials.
Israel, Greece, and Cyprus have agreed to accelerate a long-discussed regional energy and security partnership, pledging deeper cooperation amid rising instability in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean.
The United States has seized another crude oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking the second such operation in less than two weeks as President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his government.
Ukraine’s military says it is attempting to halt a Russian incursion into a border village in the northeastern Sumy region, even as diplomatic efforts continue to seek an end to the nearly four-year war.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for “peaceful coexistence” as his nation marked the first anniversary of a deadly car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in eastern Germany that revived a debate about the influx of migrants from mainly Muslim countries.
With Christmas approaching, a Christian worker and his family have fled a brick kiln in Pakistan where they were effectively held in modern-day slavery by their Muslim employer, amid continuing concerns over the safety of Christian girls in the mainly Islamic nation, investigators told Worthy News.
Jerusalem will host a high-level trilateral summit on Monday as Israel, Greece, and Cyprus move to deepen security, energy, and strategic cooperation amid growing concern over Turkey’s expanding military posture in the eastern Mediterranean.