Trump Sets Off for the Mideast to Mark a Ceasefire Deal and Urge Arab Leaders to Seize the Moment

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 12: U.S. President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One for a trip to the Middle East on October 12, 2025 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. President Trump will address the Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem on Monday, followed by a “Gaza Peace Summit” in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, after helping broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump has left for Israel and Egypt to celebrate the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. He told reporters traveling with him on Air Force One that he believed the ceasefire would hold and that “the war is over.” He says he hopes to go to Gaza someday, but said it would take years to rebuild. Trump’s first stop is in Israel to meet with hostage families and address the parliament. Then, he will go to Egypt to meet with leaders from more than 20 countries.