All living Israeli hostages released from Gaza; Trump, world leaders sign peace deal in Egypt

In a media gathering with reporters aboard Air Force One on the way back to the United States from the Middle East, Trump avoided expressing a clear opinion about the issue of a Palestinian state and chose to discuss the reconstruction of Gaza, instead.

"We’re talking about rebuilding Gaza. I’m not talking about single state or double state or two state. We’re talking about the rebuilding of Gaza," he said. "A lot of people like the one-state solution. Some people like the two-state solutions. We’ll have to see. I haven’t, I haven’t commented on that."

Trump and many of his political allies have repeatedly castigated Iran for sponsoring terror proxies across the Middle East. But in two of his high-profile public appearances today, Trump struck a more diplomatic tone toward Tehran.

In remarks at the Israeli Knesset, Trump said the United States is prepared to make a deal with Iran aimed at limiting its nuclear ambitions — as soon as the country’s leadership is ready to come to the table.

“We are ready when you are, and it will be the best decision that Iran has ever made, and it’s going to happen,” Trump said, referring to a pact with Iran. “The hand of friendship and cooperation is open. I’m telling you, they want to make a deal.”

Then, in surprise remarks to the media on the sidelines of the Middle East peace summit in Egypt, Trump said he would be open to lifting the economic sanctions that have devastated Iran when its leaders are prepared to speak.

“That’s all I do in my life. I make deals, and [Iran] wants to make a deal,” he told reporters.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev lauded the release of Palestinian detainees and Israeli hostages but said the war between Hamas and Israel will not end until a Palestinian state is established.

Medvedev has repeatedly needled Trump on social media, and his post today could be an attempt to downplay the peace deal Trump signed.

"Until a full-fledged Palestinian state is established in line with the well-known UN resolutions, nothing will change," Medvedev said on X. "The war will continue. Everyone understands this."

Trump left Egypt after a stunning display of personal and presidential power. Some of the most important leaders in the world were left waiting for hours. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, with time to spare, stood for a few minutes to watch Trump’s Knesset speech on NBC News’ monitors.

After Trump arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh on Air Force One, escorted by Egyptian jets, European leaders positioned themselves next to him. The leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey joined Trump in signing the plan meant to end the fighting in Gaza, which ends with the words, “We commit ourselves to a future of enduring peace.”

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni was effusive. “I am absolute, absolutely optimistic on this,” she told NBC News. “I think the international community has to help him the maximum we can. So Italy is here to say we are ready on security side, for the humanitarian side, for the political side, whatever is needed.”

Trump will need that support if he is to overcome a myriad of hurdles and change history. He will also need to remain as focused as he was today.

Tom Fletcher, the top U.N. humanitarian official, has earmarked an additional $11 million for Gaza aid.

Fletcher announced the additional funds, which bring the total to $20 million, in a post on X noting that aid groups face a critical window before winter arrives in the Palestinian enclave. The money will be used to scale up aid and keep essential infrastructure running.

The return of hostages out of Gaza marks a day of hope and a new beginning for millions, Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the ​International Committee of the Red Cross, said in a statement today.

The Red Cross helped facilitate the release of 20 hostages who were in Gaza and 1,809 Palestinian detainees held by Israeli authorities. She described it as a "great responsibility" for Red Cross teams.

"More families are waiting anxiously to receive their loved ones and deserve closure. The ceasefire must hold," Spoljaric said.

​She added, "The operation carried out today shows how lives can be saved if parties to conflict remain at the negotiating table until an agreement is found."

The Israel Defense Forces posted this evening local time on X that the coffins of four Israeli hostages have entered Israel.

"Four coffins of deceased hostages, escorted by IDF and ISA forces, crossed the border into the State of Israel a short while ago and are on their way to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine, where identification procedures will be carried out," it said.

The IDF said its representatives are accompanying the hostages’ families and continued, "The IDF urges the public to act with sensitivity and wait for official identification, which will first be communicated to the families of the deceased hostages."

Departing Egypt on Air Force One, Trump ended a brief trip to the region, where he signed the peace deal to end the war in Gaza along with the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, the key mediators.

Trump met with hostage families in Israel in the morning before he addressed Israel's parliament, the Knesset, where he said it is a "historic dawn" for the region.

"After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace," Trump said.

His Knesset speech was interrupted by two Arab-Israeli lawmakers, who were escorted out of the event. Ayman Odeh, a member of the Hadash alliance, later wrote on X that he was kicked out for demanding the recognition of a Palestinian state.

Trump later traveled to Egypt, where he was awarded the Order of the Nile by President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. It is the highest civilian honor in the country. Speaking alongside other world leaders, Trump said the prayers of millions have been answered.

"Together, we've achieved what everybody said was impossible," he said. "At long last, we have peace in the Middle East — it's a very simple expression, peace in the Middle East. And we've heard it for many years, but nobody thought it could ever get there, and now we're there."

Trump extended his thanks to leaders across the region and said they had achieved the "unthinkable" with the peace deal between Hamas and Israel.

Trump stood with world leaders as he specifically called out the heads of state of multiple Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, for their help. He boasted that together they have achieved "peace in the Middle East."

"After years of suffering and bloodshed, the war in Gaza is over," he said. "Humanitarian aid is now pouring in, including hundreds of truckloads of food and medical equipment and other supplies, much of it paid for by people in this room. Civilians are returning to their homes. The hostages are reuniting. I mean, it's beautiful."

Now that the war is over, Trump said, rebuilding must begin. That is a phase he described as potentially "the easiest part" after the negotiations over the peace agreement.