Warm welcome in the Knesset for Trump’s visit (Israeli Channel 14).

U.S. President Donald Trump will be received as a “hero” in the Israeli Knesset today, Monday, as the Gaza ceasefire, which he helped mediate, enters its fourth day. The expected release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners represents initial steps in a long-standing conflict that has resisted resolution.

Trump’s speech before the Knesset comes two years after the war ignited by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the capture of 251 hostages according to Israeli statistics.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One at the start of his trip from Washington to Israel, “The war is over.” When asked about future expectations for the region, Trump said, “I think things will return to normal.”

The United Nations reported increasing humanitarian aid with cooking gas entering Gaza for the first time since March and expanded delivery of food and medical supplies.

Lasting peace remains elusive

The truce and exchange of hostages and prisoners gave a glimmer of hope, but despite Trump’s optimism, the loss of life, destruction, and trauma confirmed that lasting peace remains out of reach. Progress now depends on global commitments that may be made at a summit later today involving more than 20 world leaders, including Trump, at the Sharm El-Sheikh resort in Egypt.

Axios correspondent reported Sunday, quoting a senior Palestinian official, that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will attend the summit in Egypt. Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Pedroso said no Israeli officials will attend.

Pedroso said Israel expects the return of remaining hostages early Monday with the release of twenty living hostages together, followed by the delivery of the bodies of 28 remaining hostages.

She added that 1,700 Palestinians detained since October 7, 2023, along with 22 minors and the bodies of 360 fighters, will not be released until the Israeli hostages return safely.

On the ground, Palestinians returning to northern Gaza described scenes of massive destruction.

Rami Mohammed Ali (37) said after walking 15 kilometers on foot with his son from Deir al-Balah to Gaza City, “We couldn’t comprehend the extent of the destruction we saw.”

He added, describing the scattered remains on the roads, “We are happy to be back in Gaza, but at the same time, our feelings are bitter because of the destruction.”

In Israel… Booing Netanyahu and Cheering Trump

Crowds gathered late Saturday at the Hostages Square in Tel Aviv cheered Trump during a speech by his special envoy Steve Witkoff, but loudly booed when Witkoff tried to thank Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his role in the ceasefire efforts.

Trump will become the fourth U.S. president to address the Knesset, after Jimmy Carter in 1979, Bill Clinton in 1994, and George W. Bush in 2008.

Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana wrote in a letter last week inviting Trump to deliver an official speech, saying, “The people of Israel consider you the greatest friend and ally of the Jewish nation in modern history.”

Critics of Netanyahu in Israel, including hostage families, accuse him of deliberately prolonging the conflict to appease his far-right coalition partners, whose support is crucial for his political survival. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu last year on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, which Israel denies.

Netanyahu said in a televised statement Sunday, “Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new path. A path of construction and recovery, and I hope it will be a path to unite hearts.”

The United States, along with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, mediated what was described as a first-phase agreement between Israel and Hamas. The next phase of Trump’s plan calls for forming an international body, a “Peace Council,” led by Trump and joined by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to play a role in governing Gaza after the war.

Many issues remain unresolved. Other steps in Trump’s 20-point plan have yet to be agreed upon, including how Gaza will be governed after the fighting ends and the final fate of Hamas, which has rejected Israel’s demands to disarm.

The Hamas-run Interior Ministry said it will deploy security forces in areas vacated by the Israeli army. It is unclear whether militants will return to the streets in large numbers, which Israel might consider provocative.