US President Donald Trump said, “The war is over, you understand that,” while flying to Israel on Sunday. He will oversee the implementation of his Gaza peace plan.
Trump added, “I think it’s going to normalise,” when asked about the region’s future. His comments came after Hamas and Israel accepted his ceasefire proposal, setting the stage for a hostage-prisoner exchange on Monday. During the visit, Trump will address Israel’s parliament, the Knesset.
Hostages and Reconstruction
Thousands of Palestinians continued moving north, especially toward Gaza City, which faced heavy Israeli strikes over the past two months. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Tomorrow is the beginning of a new path. A path of building, a path of healing, and I hope - a path of uniting hearts.”
Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said Israel expects the 20 surviving hostages to be released early Monday morning. Israel is ready to receive them even if they arrive sooner. The 28 deceased hostages will be returned later.
Iran Skips Gaza Summit
Iran announced that neither President Masoud Pezeshkian nor Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will attend the Gaza summit in Egypt. Cairo invited them on Sunday evening, but Iran refused, reported IRNA.
Araghchi wrote on X that Iran will not “engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian people and continue to threaten and sanction us,” referring to the US. He also alluded to a US-Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear sites during the June conflict.
Iran still supports efforts “to end Israel’s genocide in Gaza” and to uphold Palestinians’ right to self-determination. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has backed the Palestinian cause and does not recognize Israel.
Gaza Peace Summit
The Gaza peace summit in Egypt will be co-chaired by Trump and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The summit aims to strengthen the ceasefire and create a political framework for Gaza’s post-war governance. Over 20 nations are expected to join, but neither Israel nor Hamas will attend.