Trump Heads to Middle East as Gaza Hostage Release Nears Under 20-Point Peace Plan

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced plans to travel to the Middle East on Sunday, marking what he described as the beginning of peace in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said the deal — brokered through indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Egypt — represents the first phase of a broader peace initiative.

Trump declared, “The hostages will be coming back Monday or Tuesday. I’ll probably be there.” He added that the bodies of some deceased hostages might be “hard to find,” referring to the remaining 47 hostages still held in Gaza, 25 of whom the Israeli military believes are dead.

The president said “nobody’s going to be forced to leave” Palestinian territory under his 20-point peace plan, which promises “disarming and pullbacks” from both sides — a veiled reference to Hamas disarmament and possible Israeli military withdrawal.

Trump also hinted that wealthy Arab states would fund Gaza’s reconstruction and could participate in future peacekeeping efforts, stating that the enclave would be “slowly redone.” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has invited Trump to a ceremony in Cairo celebrating the ceasefire’s first phase.

During a Cabinet meeting, Trump’s team, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, hailed his “intense diplomacy,” crediting the president’s persistent pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Arab leaders for securing the deal.

While sidestepping questions about a possible Nobel Peace Prize, Trump boasted, “Nobody in history has solved eight wars in nine months.”

Still, analysts warn that despite the celebratory tone, Gaza remains in ruins, with tens of thousands dead and much of the territory uninhabitable.