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

Former President Joe Biden praised Trump for pushing through the peace deal between Israel and Hamas.

“The road to this deal was not easy. My Administration worked relentlessly to bring hostages home, get relief to Palestinian civilians, and end the war. I commend President Trump and his team for their work to get a renewed ceasefire deal over the finish line,” Biden wrote on X.

Trump has regularly criticized Biden during his second term, even taking a potshot at him and former President Barack Obama earlier today while he was speaking at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.

He referred to Biden’s administration as the worst in U.S. history, then said Obama was “not far behind.” The comments drew a smattering of applause.

Biden said he hoped the peace deal Trump arranged would last. “Now, with the backing of the United States and the world, the Middle East is on a path to peace that I hope endures and a future for Israelis and Palestinians alike with equal measures of peace, dignity, and safety,” he wrote on X.

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.

World leaders react to historic peace summit

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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.

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, on Monday, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, to return to Washington. Evan Vucci / AP

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."

'Prayers of millions have finally been answered': Trump praises peace deal

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"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.

Trump and the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, the key mediators, held an official signing ceremony for the Gaza peace plan.

Notably missing from the signing ceremony were the two parties expected to abide by it: Israel and Hamas.

Trump praised the "amazing array of talent" in the United States who helped get the deal across the finish line, as well as help from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey.

Trump signs peace deal between Israel and Hamas during summit in Egypt

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Trump took turns heaping praise on the leaders of the three countries before he signed the documents, which were passed to the leaders flanking him.

"This took 3,000 years to get to this point, can you believe it?" Trump said. "And it's going to hold up, too. It's going to hold up."

The room broke out into applause when the four leaders held up the signed documents.

A bus carrying freed Palestinians who were imprisoned by Israel arrived in southern Gaza today to crowds of people awaiting them.

Child embraced by freed Palestinian prisoner as buses arrive in Gaza

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In one scene, a child was lifted above crowds and handed to a freed prisoner. The man embraced the toddler before he handed him back.

Top: Avinatan Or and Evyatar David arrive at Beilinson Hospital in the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva.

Bottom: Ziv Berman lands at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan and Alon Ohel arrives at Beilinson hospital.

In a statement today, Hamas referred to the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails as a "national achievement" and a "shining milestone in our struggle."

Hamas, which the U.S. and Israel consider a terrorist organization, congratulated "our free prisoners, their steadfast families, and the masses of our proud Palestinian people on the achievement of their liberation" from Israel detention.

"This liberation represents a shining national milestone in our ongoing struggle for freedom and liberation," said Hamas, which has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007.

An image of Israel's parliament building displaying the colors of the U.S. flag.

During a bilateral meeting in Egypt, President Trump said that the second phase of peace negotiations between Hamas and Israel was already underway.

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"Phase 2 has started," Trump said while he sat next to Egyptian President Abel Fattah el-Sissi. "And you know, the faces are all a little bit mixed in with each other. Gonna start cleaning up ... if you look at Gaza, it needs a lot of clean up."

He also said that now that all living hostages had been freed from Gaza, the search for the bodies of victims would continue.

Asked by a reporter whether Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi might have a seat on the "Board of Peace," Trump said, "I'd like to have him on the board."

President Donald Trump with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi today. Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images

Trump's 20-point peace proposal called for the establishment of an international "Board of Peace" that would supervise a new Gaza governing body. Trump will lead the board, according to his peace plan.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff said he thinks there is a "long list of applicants" to be on the board.

Trump sat down alongside Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, whom Trump called a "friend of mine," and said that the U.S. was "with him all the way."

The U.S. president also said that Egypt has "very little crime" because "they don't play games."

El-Sissi had led the military overthrow of Egypt's first democratically elected president in 2013.

President Donald Trump holds a meeting with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday. Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images

White House communications director Steven Cheung posted a video to X that he said showed Egyptian jets escorting Air Force One.

Trump landed in Egypt and deplaned moments ago.

The return of the bodies of just four hostages by Hamas today has families accusing the militants of violating the ceasefire agreement.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum in a statement called for the "immediate suspension" of the peace deal until every deceased hostage is returned, adding that it's demanding that all 28 bodies are returned.

There were concerns raised earlier about whether Hamas would be able to locate and transfer all of the hostage remains amid the destruction in Gaza.

Defense Minister Israel Katz called the expected return of the remains of just four hostages a "failure to meet commitments" by Hamas, adding in a statement on X that any delay or deliberate avoidance will be considered "a gross violation of the agreement."

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said the International Red Cross was on its way to the meeting point in the south of Gaza to receive “several coffins” with the bodies of the hostages, and it was prepared to receive additional coffins expected to be transferred to the Red Cross.

Hamas' military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, said the group would hand over the bodies of four Israeli hostages today as part of the prisoner exchange.

The group identified the hostages as Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi and Daniel Peretz.

Running behind schedule, Trump has left Israel on board Air Force One after a lengthy speech in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset.

Trump is headed to the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh for a summit, attended by 20 world leaders, where a signing ceremony is expected.

The Israeli Defense Forces' X account posted a video of former hostage Eitan Mor reuniting with his parents.

In the video, Mor embraces his father, who began sobbing. A person off camera recited the Shehechiyanu, a Jewish prayer that is said to show gratitude for joyous and special moments. Another clip of the video shows Mor's parents wrapping him in a hug, followed by the three of them on a video call with someone.

Returned hostage Eitan Mor reunites with his family

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Palestinians freed from Israeli jails as part of the ceasefire deal greeted cheering crowds in Gaza. Reuters video showed some of those released waving to the assembled crowds in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. 

People gather at Nasser Hospital as they welcome Palestinians released by Israel on Monday.  Ramadan Abed / Reuters

During his address to the Knesset, Trump addressed the tens of billions of dollars worth of military support it has given to Israel since Oct. 7, 2023, which Israel has used to wage war in Gaza.

“We make the best weapons in the world, and we’ve given a lot to Israel,” the president said. “Bibi would call me so many times: ‘Can you get me this weapon, that weapon, that weapon?’ Some of them I never heard of, Bibi, and I made them,” Trump added, using Netanyahu’s nickname. “But we’d get them here. And you’ve used them well.”

Since the Hamas attack and Israel’s ensuing war, the United States has provided around $21.7 billion of military aid to Israel, according to a report by Brown University’s Watson School of International and Public Affairs. Before that, it was around $3 billion a year, according to government figures.

Of the 250 Palestinian prisoners being released by Israel as part of today's deal, 154 won't be returning to Gaza or the occupied West Bank but have rather been deported to Egypt, the Palestinian Prisoners' Authority and the nongovernmental Prisoners' Club said in a statement.

Of the 96 others, 88 are being taken to the West Bank and Jerusalem, and eight to Gaza, the statement said.

Hamas had pledged to release the hostages in exchange for 250 prisoners serving life sentences and more than 1,700 detained Palestinians.

Trump just asked Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, a seemingly off-the-cuff request that he said wasn’t in excerpts of prepared remarks.

“This man is a good man right here. I have an idea. Mr. President, why don’t you give him a pardon?” Trump said during his speech to the Knesset. Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial has been looming in the backdrop of the war, with opponents accusing the Israeli prime minister of prolonging the conflict to delay his own legal proceedings.

Trump asks Israeli President Herzog to pardon Netanyahu

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“That was not in the speech, as you probably know, but I happen to like this gentleman right over here, and it just seems to make so much sense,” Trump said. “Whether we like it or not, this has been one of the greatest wartime presidents, and — cigars and Champagne — who the hell cares about all that?”

In an apparently unscripted aside, Trump denigrated two of his predecessors in the Oval Office. He referred to former President Joe Biden's administration as the worst in U.S. history, then said former President Barack Obama was "not far behind." The comments drew a smattering of applause.

Then-President Joe Biden and Barack Obama at the White House in 2022. HUM Images / Universal Images Group via Getty Images file

He later accused both presidents of a "hatred toward Israel," faulting Obama for signing a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the pact in 2018, during his first term.

Biden and Obama, while occasionally critical of Netanyahu’s government, maintained the United States’ exceptionally strong ties with Israel and supported continued billions in military aid for the country. Obama frequently referred to the U.S. bond with Israel as “sacrosanct.”

Trump praised Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid as a "very nice opposition leader" and a "nice man."

"Now you can be a little bit nicer, Bibi, because you're not at war anymore, Bibi," he joked, using Netanyahu's nickname.

Trump laughed and the Knesset applauded.

"But only by embracing the opportunities of this moment can we achieve our goal of ensuring that the horrors of recent years will never happen again," Trump continued. "You don't want to have to go through this again."

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Two left-wing politicians were ejected from the Knesset after interrupting Trump's speech today.

Ayman Odeh, head of Hadash, and an MP for the party, Ofer Cassif, held signs or tried to hold up signs before being swiftly forced from the chamber.

Trump has been heaping praise on what he calls his "unbelievably talented team," including his special envoy Steve Witkoff, son-in-law Jared Kushner and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who he said will "go down as the greatest secretary of state in the history of the United States." (That would put him above the likes of John Quincy Adams and Abraham Lincoln's top envoy, William Seward.)

Trump said in his speech to the Knesset that "the long and painful nightmare is finally over."

"And as the dust settles, the smoke fades, the debris is removed and the ashes clean from the air, the day that breaks on a region transformed and a beautiful and much brighter future appears suddenly within your reach," he added.

The president argued that "because of us, the enemies of all civilization are in retreat."

Trump and Netanyahu met with some of the families of Israeli hostages earlier today at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

Trump with Ronen Neutra, second from left, and other hostages' families at the Knesset in Jerusalem today. Ronen Neutra

Among the family members was Ronen Neutra, father of the dead American Israeli hostage Omer Neutra, who shared pictures of the meeting with NBC News. The family, wearing shirts reading, "Our Hero" also met with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Trump has become a hero to many in Israel, who believe he was pivotal in forcing a ceasefire and hostage deal that is leading to the release of many of those abducted Oct. 7, 2023.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, second left, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, third from right, meet with hostages' families at the Knesset today. Ronen Neutra

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reassured Trump he was "committed to this peace" as he addressed Israeli lawmakers alongside the U.S. president this afternoon amid concerns over whether peace will hold beyond the release of hostages.

Directly before Trump's speech at the Knesset, Netanyahu lavished praise on Trump in a long speech, thanking him for "an extraordinary friendship" and called his global leadership "unmatched."

Trump today thanked Netanyahu for what he called a "great job" in helping him secure a peace deal that the U.S. president says has ended the devastating war in Gaza.

In comments that were not part of the official excerpts released by the White House ahead of his speech to the Israeli parliament, Trump said Netanyahu was not "the easiest guy to deal with, but that's what makes him great." Trump has previously publicly chided Netanyahu for stalling the deal.

But Trump praised the Israeli leader as a man of "exceptional courage and patriotism, whose partnership did so much to make this momentous day possible."

Video shows the moment freed Israeli hostage Eitan Mor is reunited with his family after being released from Hamas.

Returned hostage Eitan Mor reunites with his family

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The group representing the hostages' families says it is “shocked and dismayed to learn that only four bodies of deceased hostages will be returned today, out of 28 held by Hamas.”

Under Trump's 20-point plan, all hostages living and dead were to be returned today or within around 72 hours.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters said in a statement, “This represents a blatant breach of the agreement by Hamas. We expect Israel’s government and the mediators to take immediate action to rectify this grave injustice.”

The hostages' families, it added, are “enduring especially difficult days filled with deep sorrow. We will not abandon any hostage. The mediators must enforce the agreement’s terms and ensure Hamas pays a price for this violation.”

Israeli and Hamas officials were not immediately available for comment.

The president has begun his address to Israeli lawmakers.

Israel's Netanyahu called it a "moving day" as he lavished praise on Trump, sitting next to him in the Knesset.

“We have been waiting for this moment,” Netanyahu said after all 20 living hostage were safely removed from Gaza just hours earlier as part of the first phase of Trump’s 20-point plan.

Netanyahu and Trump at the Knesset in Jerusalem today. Pool / Getty Images

"Donald Trump is the greatest friend that the State of Israel has ever had in the White House," Netanyahu added.

In his remarks to Knesset, Netanyahu also thanked two of Trump’s top Mideast envoys, Steve Witkoff, a real-estate mogul, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law. Netanyahu also mentioned the diplomatic efforts of Israel’s former ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer.

Netanyahu calls Trump 'the greatest friend' of Israel after all hostages are freed

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The news that Netanyahu will travel with Trump to this peace conference in Sharm El-Sheikh was surprising. And now the Israeli leaders office says he won’t be going — even more astonishing.

This is all being orchestrated with Trump’s face-to-face brand of politics.

The Facebook page of Egypt's Sisi describes it this way: "President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call today from U.S. President Donald Trump while he was in Israel, accompanied by the Israeli Prime Minister, who also spoke with the President. It was agreed that he would attend the peace summit, which Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will also participate."

Perhaps the Israeli leader recognized there was the possibility of coming face to face with Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is already here. He would not have wanted that.

Palestinian inmates cheer from inside a bus after being released from the Ofer military prison located between Ramallah and Beitunia in the occupied West Bank today.

Palestinian prisoners released as part of ceasefire deal with Israel

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Trump is currently being lavished with extraordinary levels of praise in the Israeli parliament.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him "the greatest friend that the State of Israel has ever had in the White House."

Speaker Amir Ohana has called him “not as another American president, but a giant of Jewish history.” He compared Trump to Cyrus the Great, the ancient Persian king said to have freed the Jewish from captivity in Babylon in 539 BCE.

We have to “look back two and a half millennia into the mists of time to find a parallel: Cyrus the Great,” Ohana said. “President Donald J. Trump, you are a colossus who will be enshrined in history thousands of years from now. Mr. President, the Jewish people will remember you.”

He added, “Your election to the presidency marked a turning point, not only for the United States, but for the entire world.” 

Netanyahu's office said today he won't be attending the peace summit in Egypt after being invited by Trump.

"The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for his invitation, but said that he would not be able to participate due to the proximity of the holiday," the office said in a statement, adding Netanyahu thanked Trump for his efforts to "expand the circle of peace."

Earlier, there was confusion over his attendance, with Netanyahu initially not being invited. The Egyptian presidency then said Netanyahu would attend the summit, and so would Palestinian President Mohammad Abbas.

Abbas has already arrived in Egypt for the summit.

Israel has won all it can by force of arms, Trump is expected to tell lawmakers after the two-year war in Gaza and the release of the remaining living hostages today.

In line with his previous comments, Trump will tout his peace deal as a historical moment, according to the excerpts of his speech released by a White House official.

“Now, it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East,” the transcript reads.

While it garnered widespread support and sympathy after the Oct. 7, 2023. attacks, Israel has come under increasing pressure for the devastation and death the war has caused Gaza during the past two years.

The American president has just taken the podium at the Knesset, where he will give a speech to Israeli lawmakers. He is being greeted by thunderous applause that has lasted for minutes.

Trump receives a standing ovation before the Knesset today. Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images

Trump is late starting his speech to the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, but the White House has released some of the remarks from his speech.

The president is set to tell lawmakers: “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.”

He will call it a "historic dawn of a new Middle East," according to the prereleased remarks.

Outside the Ramallah Cultural Palace, families are waiting for the Palestinian prisoners. Some women and young girls are wearing traditional Palestinian dresses.

A young girl waves the Palestinian flag outside the Ramallah Cultural Palace today.  Daniele Hamamdjian / NBC News

A few attendees tell us the Israeli military called them and told them not speak to the media, and it seems they are taking that warning seriously. They’ve seen others re-arrested in the past and don’t want to take that chance.

Crowds gather as they wait for prisoners to be released.  Daniele Hamamdjian / NBC News

In a reversal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to attend an Egyptian peace summit later today, Reuters reported, citing an Egyptian presidential spokesperson.

“Both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will take part in the peace summit to solidify the agreement to end the war in Gaza and reaffirm their commitment to it,” the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for Netanyahu had said yesterday that Israel would not be sending a representative to the summit in the Egyptian resort city of of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Young Palestinian men threw rocks at Israeli vehicles near Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank ahead of a planned prisoner release today.

Just as Israeli hostages were released by Hamas, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are also expected to be released by Israel, some of whom will arrive in the Gaza Strip.

They include 250 prisoners serving life sentences and more than 1,700 Palestinians detained after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.

The Hamas-run government media office said more than 7,000 government employees are participating in preparations for their arrival, “to secure the reception process and provide all the elements of comfort and care for the prisoners and their families.”

“These preparations are in line with the message of loyalty and appreciation for their sacrifices,” it said.

Emotion-filled videos have begun emerging of the remaining hostages calling their families from Gaza ahead of their expected release.

Elkana Bohbot, 36, hadn’t spoken to his mother, Ruhama, since he was abducted from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023. So when his face appeared on her phone screen, she was overcome. “Champion, world champion, my sweetheart,” she said in the video, which was distributed by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

When he did not immediately reply, she added: “What, Elkana? Talk, talk! Talk, talk, darling, talk!”

Friends and relatives of Elkana Bohbot watch hostage release coverage from Mevaseret Zion, Israel, this morning. Amir Levy / Getty Images

Standing next to someone with a black face covering, Bohbot smiled and responded, “Everything is fine, relax, everything is fine,” words that elicited cheers from his relatives watching the screen.

The last 13 living hostages are heading back to Israeli territory after their release in Gaza, Israeli officials said.

The hostages are being accompanied by personnel from the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency on their return to Israel, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment.

“The commanders and soldiers of the IDF salute and embrace the returning hostages as they make their way home to the State of Israel,” the IDF and ISA said in a joint statement.

People wear hats that read “Trump The Peace President” before Trump’s address to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Jerusalem today.

Guy Gilboa-Dalal. Israel Defense Forces

Alon Ohel. Israel Defense Forces

Eitan Mor. Israel Defense Forces

Gali Berman, right, and Ziv Berman.  Israel Defense Forces

Israeli hostages, held in Gaza for more than two years, are met by members of the Israeli military as the cross over the border into southern Israel this morning, following a U.S. brokered peace deal for their safe return.

Matan Angrest. Israel Defense Forces

The last 13 surviving hostages have been released by Hamas to the Red Cross, Israel said, and are on their way to Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.

Of the 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, 20 were believed to still be alive. A first group of seven was released earlier today and is back in Israeli territory, while the remains of others are expected to be transferred later today.

Live video showed a convoy of five Red Cross vehicles carrying the remaining hostages leaving Khan Younis in southern Gaza, to the cheers of onlookers and surrounded by Hamas officers.

Remaining 13 hostages handed over to the Red Cross by Hamas

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Members of an Israeli military band listened to a live broadcast this morning about the first group of hostages being released from captivity in Gaza, ahead of a welcoming ceremony for Trump at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

Fearing additional IDF checkpoints that could add hours to daily commutes, some schools in the West Bank are online-only today.

Some students are skipping school altogether to watch prisoners being released from Ofer Prison.

Several teenage boys with their faces covered threw stones every time an IDF vehicle drove by, and in response, the IDF fired tear gas.

An aid convoy of 173 aid trucks carrying essential food and medical supplies entered the Gaza Strip yesterday, Hamas’ media office said today.

The convoy included three cooking gas and six diesel fuel trucks designated for operating bakeries, generators and hospitals, it said.

The quantities that have entered are still “very limited,” it said, adding that it was just a “drop in the ocean of needs.”

Entry of aid is expected to be dramatically ramped up as part of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, after Israel blocked most of it entering the enclave.

Trump has arrived at Israel's Knesset, or parliament, where he is expected to address lawmakers shortly.

Signing a book upon his arrival, Trump wrote, "this is my great honor."

"A great and beautiful day," he wrote, adding: "A new beginning."

Trump marks 'a new beginning' upon arrival at Israel's Knesset

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More hostages have been transferred into the custody of the Red Cross in Gaza before heading to Israel, five witnesses have told NBC News.

It was not known how many hostages were handed over in Khan Younis and Deir Al Balah. This follows the transfer of seven hostages earlier today.

Red Cross vehicles transport the second batch of Israeli hostages from Deir Al Balah this morning. Bashar Taleb / AFP via Getty Images

A papier-mâché and cement model of one of the tunnels has been set up at the Hostage Square, aimed to give visitors a sense of what it might be like inside the tunnels in Gaza where the hostages would have been held.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as images of the first hostages being released appeared on a big screen along with interviews of the hostages’ mothers and other family members. 

There are also empty tables to receive the hostages when they come back at the square, a public plaza in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art that has become both a memorial to those who were taken on Oct. 7, 2023 and a place for Israelis and families of hostages to gather and express their anguish, joy and anger.

Much of Gaza has been “blasted” and resembles a “demolition site,” Trump said onboard Air Force One today as he headed to Israel.

Asked whether he plans to move forward with his plans to turn Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” Trump said, “I don’t know about the Riviera for a while because you take a look at what you have. You have to get people taken care of first.”

Gaza City yesterday. Abdel Kareem Hana / AP

Trump said the process of clearing destroyed buildings and rubble in Gaza would “start, really, essentially immediately.”

“I mean, they’re going to have to start by removing a lot of the structures that you see that are down to the ground. I mean, it’s a very, it’s blasted,” he said. “This is like a demolition site.”

Crowd estimates in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv are about 65,000 to 100,000 but growing as people keep pouring in. 

There were loud cheers this morning as images of the first hostages being released appeared on a big screen along with interviews of the hostages’ mothers and other family members. The square went silent to hear their relief as they saw images of their loved ones alive.

Hostage Square this morning. Menahem Kahana / AFP - Getty Images

People in Hostage Square, where Trump’s arrival was broadcast, said “Thank you, President Trump” as he was greeted by Netanyahu at Ben Gurion Airport.

The Israeli military says that the first seven hostages have arrived at their “initial reception point” within Israeli territory.

The hostages will be accompanied by personnel from the Israel Defense Forces’ Manpower Directorate and IDF medical teams, the IDF said. The freed captives “will undergo an initial medical evaluation, and will reunite with their families at the initial reception point in southern Israel.”

In addition, the IDF will accompany “all family members who are waiting at the hospital and continue to provide them with ongoing updates,” it said.

Trump said he thinks “everybody is happy” with his 20-point peace plan, saying “every country” was “dancing in the streets” amid the ceasefire in Gaza.

Asked on Air Force One what he made of Israelis at a rally over the weekend who appeared to cheer and boo Netanyahu, Trump said: “I don’t know, but we’re gonna make everybody happy.”

President Trump speaking to reporters on Air Force One overnight. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

“The one thing I can tell you is everybody is happy, whether it’s Jewish or Muslim or the Arab countries,” he said.

The Ministry of Health released photos of preparations for released prisoners after their arrival at Nasser Medical Complex. The pictures showed bare cots and medical staff members apparently organizing medical supplies.

Israel said it was releasing 250 prisoners with life sentences or long sentences and 1,718 people who have been detained in Gaza since the start of the war.

In the coming months, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will present Trump with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, the country’s highest civilian honor, for his role in “achieving a historic agreement advancing the release of the hostages and the end to the war.”

"Through his tireless efforts, President Trump has not only helped bring our loved ones home but has also laid the foundations for a new era in the Middle East built on security, cooperation, and genuine hope for a peaceful future,” Herzog said in a statement issued by the foreign ministry.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will also present Trump with the Nile Necklace, also known as the Order of the Nile — the country’s highest state honor — for his “pivotal role in halting the war in Gaza,” the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement on Facebook today.

According to the Israel military, the Red Cross is on its way to an additional meeting point in southern Gaza, where several more hostages will be returned.

Trump was met with a warm welcome from Israel’s top leadership, including Herzog and Netanyahu, as he disembarked from Air Force One at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.

Netanyahu welcomes Trump on the tarmac this morning. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Trump smiled as he shook hands with his Israeli counterparts and greeted their wives, Michal Herzog and Sara Netanyahu.

An Israeli drone flew over Beitunia in the occupied West Bank, dropping leaflets.

One of them read: “We are watching you everywhere. If you show any support to the terrorists you will be arrested and severely punished.”

Another kind of leaflet warned that Israel would “use a fist of iron.”

Israeli drone drops leaflets in West Bank warning against 'support to the terrorists'

00:13

One of the key people behind the deal, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, told NBC News he “wondered if I would ever see this day” as the first hostages were released.

“It’s deeply gratifying to know that so many families will finally have their loved ones home,” he said. “Today, 20 families are spared the unbearable pain of not knowing if they will ever see their loved ones again.”

But he added that “even in this moment of relief and happiness, my heart aches for those whose loved ones will not return alive. Bringing their bodies home is a must and an act of dignity and honors their memory forever.”

He said, “I can’t help but feel the presence of my son Andrew at this moment” — Andrew Witkoff died of an opioid overdose in 2011. “I am profoundly grateful for the indomitable spirit of President Trump. This day would not have been possible without him.”

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said it was “surreal to be here” as the first group of hostages was released this morning.

“It’s a moment like the moon landing where time freezes as we watch this historic moment,” he said on X.

Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog waited to welcome Trump to Israel at Ben Gurion Airport as Air Force One taxied along the tarmac.

A red carpet was also rolled out for Trump, with his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner already in Israel and awaiting his arrival.

Trump arrives in Israel as first group of Israeli hostages is released

09:20

The first seven hostages to be freed are returning to their families “after 738 agonizing days in captivity,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.

The group said the seven hostages — identified as Omri Miran, Matan Angrest, Ziv Berman, Gali Berman, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Alon Ohel and Eitan Mor — are returning “to the embrace of their families who worked tirelessly for their release, to their friends, and to an entire nation that believed and fought for this day to come.”

“Our struggle is not over,” the statement continued. “It will not end until the last hostage is located and returned for proper burial. This is our moral obligation. Only then will the people of Israel be whole.”

Ofer Prison is the largest prison in the occupied West Bank, and from here, up to 2,000 detainees will be released in buses as part of the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

The release could stretch well into the night, as it has in the past. Among them are 250 security prisoners, or convicted murderers who are serving multiple life sentences. Some of them will be deported to third countries, while some will be sent to Gaza.

But also among the prisoners scheduled for release are doctors and journalists, who have never been charged and have been held under what Israel calls administrative detention. These people are in prison without knowing why.

For example, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a pediatrician, was arrested in December as he was overseeing Kamal Adwan Hospital and has not been seen since. In the eyes of many Palestinians, those people held without charge are also hostages held by Israel.

Israel set to release 250 prisoners and 1,700 Palestinians detained

03:16

President Donald Trump has just landed in Israel on Air Force One, where he's expected to make a whirlwind visit before joining a Middle East peace summit in Egypt.

The scene at Ben Gurion as President Trump touched down in Israel this morning. Jack Guez / AFP - Getty Images

Trump is expected to address members of the Knesset during the short stop. It was not clear whether he would be meeting with any of the families of hostages expected to be released by Hamas in the coming hours.

The first seven hostages to be released have just crossed the border from Gaza into Israeli territory, the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency said in a joint statement.

The hostages have been identified as Eitan Mor, Alon Ohel, Ziv Berman, Gali Berman, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Omri Miran and Matan Angrest.

“They are currently on their way to the initial reception point in southern Israel, where they will reunite with their families,” the IDF and ISA said.

It’s hard to describe the euphoria here in Hostage Square, everybody keeps breaking out into applause and yelling. A huge monitor has been set up in front of everybody, showing pictures of some of the hostages.

Crowds gather at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv this morning. Emilio Morenatti / AP

Ever since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, with a Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel that included the abduction of 251 people, there has been a clock at Hostage Square. At the moment it’s obscured by Israeli flags, but it’s still ticking and won’t stop until all 48 remaining hostages have been released.

Crowds cheered as the Israeli military announced that it had taken custody of seven hostages who were making their way to Israel. The screen then moved to show live pictures from Gaza, where Hamas fighters held a much more muted ceremony than previous ones where the hostages were paraded around, drawing rebuke from Israel.

The first seven hostages to be released are Eitan Mor, Gali and Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Omri Miran, Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Alon Ohel, a representative of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum told NBC News in a phone call.

Their names were also confirmed by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.

The seven hostages who have been released so far are now making their way to Israeli territory, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment.

Red Cross vehicles transport Israeli hostages following their handover in Gaza City this morning. Dawoud Abu Alkas / Reuters

The hostages met with personnel from the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency after being released to the Red Cross in Gaza, the IDF and ISA said in a joint statement.

“The commanders and soldiers of the IDF salute and embrace the returning hostages as they make their way home to the State of Israel,” they said.

The health team for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the people expected to be released from Hamas captivity will need medical care, but also “the restoration of their identity as people.” 

​It stressed that the full scope of the hostage’s injuries is not yet known, but that they and their families — as well as the families of the deceased hostages — “require long-term medical, psychological, and social rehabilitation.”

“This process does not end with release — it begins with it,” the team said.

Hurried security checks and international flags punctuated the early morning at an aging conference center where Trump will meet with world leaders later today.

Scenes from the conference center in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, where President Trump will meet with world leaders. Keir Simmons / NBC News

Some 20 presidents, prime ministers and kings have been told they will be welcomed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi, and then by Trump. The heart of the event is a signing ceremony with the U.S., Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.

Outside the conference centre in Sharm El-Sheikh today. Keir Simmons / NBC News

European governments tell NBC News it’s not clear whether other leaders will speak.

The leaders who are attending have been asked for pledges for Gaza reconstruction. But how the next phases of Trump’s peace plan will be achieved is uncertain.

Removing Hamas from the political process, setting up “temporary transitional governance” for the Gaza Strip and rebuilding — this all presents huge challenges for the leaders who are gathering here in Egypt. And notably, neither Hamas nor Israel will send representatives.

The Palestinian Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs has released the official list of Palestinian prisoners being released as part of the ceasefire deal, including 250 prisoners with life sentences or long sentences and 1,718 people who have been detained in Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

Those in the latter group were being held under administrative detention, a controversial practice that allows Israel to detain people without charge for an indefinite period of time.

A notable absence: Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a prominent pediatrician and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza.

The Israeli military detained Safiya in December after his hospital came under attack. International organizations have long asked for his release and have expressed concern over his worsening conditions.

Seven hostages have been transferred and are on their way to Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security Agency said in a joint statement that cited the Red Cross, which is retrieving the hostages.

The IDF also said it was prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later in the day.

A large mural close to the U.S. Consulate in Tel Aviv depicts Trump this morning, thanking him on the day hostages are expected to be returned from captivity in Gaza.

Video from Al Jazeera showed a convoy of white SUVs with the Red Cross emblems and flags traveling through the rubble-strewn roads of Gaza.

It was not known whether they were retrieving hostages or had already picked them up.

A Red Cross vehicle moves through Khan Younis in southern Gaza this morning. Ramadan Abed / Reuters

A crowd, some of whom appeared to be gunmen, gathered outside Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, according to video from the scene.

They were surrounded by the health ministry’s vans and overlooking them were laid out over a hundred empty chairs, seemingly civilians.

Shortly after, another group of gunmen, without any face coverings, arrived at the site, stomped their feet, and stood in a grid formation.

Nasser Hospital is widely expected to be a point of contact between Hamas and the Red Cross, which is retrieving hostages.

In an adjacent area, hundreds of chairs have been set up in rows.

A note left by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli Prime Minister's Office

Returning hostages will receive a welcome kit that includes a personal note from Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu.

“On behalf of the entire people of Israel, welcome back!” the note reads, according to Netanyahu’s office. “We’ve been waiting for you, embracing you. Sara and Benjamin Netanyahu.”

The kits, which were prepared by the Hostages Directorate in the prime minister’s office, also include clothing and personal items, a laptop, a mobile phone and a tablet.

At least one person was killed in a clash between Hamas security forces and Palestinian gunmen overnight in Gaza, according to local health officials.

Saleh al-Jafarawi, a prominent Palestinian social media activist, was killed during the violence, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. His death came after the Gaza Interior Ministry said yesterday that "criminal gangs" had attacked private property and stolen humanitarian aid.

The total number of casualties in the shootout is unclear. The ministry said gang members who were not involved in bloodshed could be pardoned if they surrendered in time.

The Red Cross confirmed to NBC News it had begun the process of retrieving hostages from Gaza.

"We can confirm the operation has started," a spokesman said in an email.

Seven hostages have been handed over from Hamas to the Red Cross

01:18

The Red Cross is on its way to a meeting point in the northern Gaza Strip where several hostages will be transferred into its custody, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

The IDF also said it was prepared to receive additional hostages who are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross later in the day.

Buses carrying the Red Cross emblem move through Khan Younis in southern Gaza this morning. Omar Al-Qattaa / AFP - Getty Images

Airport staffers prepare the red carpet ahead of Trump’s arrival at Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv this morning.

Israeli military vehicles take position at the Ofer military prison between Ramallah and Beitunia in the occupied West Bank this morning ahead of the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in exchange for hostages held in Gaza.

Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, has just released the names of the 20 living hostages who are due for release.

They are: Alon Ohel, Ariel Cunio and David Cunio, Avinatan Or, Bar Kupershtein, Eitan Horn, Eitan Mor, Gali Berman and Ziv Berman, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Elkana Bohbot, Evyatar David, Matan Angrest, Matan Zangauker, Maxim Herkin, Nimrod Cohen, Omri Miran, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon and Yosef-Haim Ohana.

The names match the list of hostages who were believed to be alive in Gaza. Others, about two dozen more, are believed to have died.

Loved ones of the Palestinian prisoners to be released as part of the ceasefire deal have started trickling into the West Bank city of Beitunia.

Possibly anticipating more checkpoints throughout the West Bank and longer journeys, they started arriving at dawn this morning. Just as it has in previous ceasefires, the Israel Defense Forces has warned people not to celebrate their loved ones’ release — a warning that has often been ignored.

The International Red Cross buses have now arrived at Ofer prison and will be transporting around 100 prisoners into the West Bank. Some of them have been in prison since the 1990s and are serving multiple life sentences.

The more than 1,700 detainees from Gaza to be released were captured in Gaza after the attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and have not been charged. Among them are some women and children, doctors, nurses and journalists.

Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are among the numerous heads of state attending today’s peace summit in Egypt.

Egypt said the following leaders will also be joining:

Iran has declined to attend a summit in Egypt marking the first phase of the Israel-Hamas peace deal, citing its recent conflict with Israel.

While Tehran is “grateful” for the invitation to the summit today in the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, “neither President Pezeshkian nor I can engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian People and continue to threaten and sanction us,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X.

Araghchi said that Iran, which fought a 12-day war with Israel in June, continues to favor diplomatic engagement and that it welcomes any initiative to end the Israel-Hamas war.

“Palestinians are fully entitled to secure their fundamental right of self-determination, and all States remain obliged, more than ever, to assist them in their lawful & legitimate cause,” he said.

Trump to meet with families of hostages in Jerusalem

03:43

Trump is on his way to Israel for a brief but robust trip to the Middle East after Hamas pledged to release Israeli hostages.

After he lands in Tel Aviv, Trump is scheduled to meet with the families of hostages in Jerusalem, where he's expected to be greeted by signs of appreciation and support for the peace deal and the United States.

Trump will address the Knesset tomorrow before he heads to Egypt for a Middle East peace summit. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to attend the summit and could also be joined by representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan.

In all, Trump will spend about 7½ hours in Israel and Egypt before he returns to the United States.

The hostage release in Gaza is expected to begin as early as 8 a.m. local time (1 a.m. ET), according to Israeli media.

It is currently about 6:41 a.m. in Israel.

The newspaper Haaretz reported that hostage families had been told their loved ones would be released starting at 8 a.m. According to The Jerusalem Post, the Israeli military expects hostages to return to Israeli custody starting around 9 a.m. from three locations in Gaza: Gaza City, central Gaza and Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Israel believes about 20 of the 48 hostages are still alive.

People gathered early Monday in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. Some slept as they waited for a livestream of the hostage releases to start.

Israel has destroyed “approximately 810 kilometers of roads” — or about 500 miles — in Gaza, the enclave’s municipality said.

The damage has caused “severe movement difficulties” and is “preventing residents from returning to their neighborhoods,” the municipality posted on X.

Crews are working to clear roads and reopen Al-Nasr Street in western Gaza City “despite the severe lack of resources and the destruction of about 85% of the Municipality’s service vehicles,” it said.

The municipality called on the international community to “intervene urgently and assist in providing heavy machinery and essential equipment needed to remove debris.”

Displaced Palestinians walking amid destroyed buildings in Gaza City on Sunday. Abdel Kareem Hana / AP

Eitan and Yair Horn, Argentine-Israeli brothers, were kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023.

Their father, Itzik Horn, welcomed Yair back from captivity in February during the last ceasefire in Gaza. Now, he is anxiously awaiting Eitan’s release, expected to happen in the coming hours.

“I feel like it’s really going to happen because we have been burned — let’s call it that — for so many times,” Itzik Horn said.

This time, he told NBC News, “there is someone who is serious behind all of this process — there is President Trump.”

“This is what gave me a little bit more trust than other times,” he added.

But, Horn said, the reunion won’t feel real until he embraces his son.

“I will tell Eitan the same thing I told Yair — the first thing I will tell him is that he went too far with the diet,” he said.

Imagining his reunion with Eitan, Horn said: “I will hug him tight, tight. I guess I will cry. I will remind him how much I love him.” 

Critical aid, including food, medicine and shelter, was brought into Gaza today in a "humanitarian scale-up," the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

“For the first time since March, cooking gas entered the Strip. More tents for displaced families, frozen meat, fresh fruit, flour and medicines also crossed into Gaza throughout the day,” the office said. The U.N. and its partners have also distributed hundreds of thousands of hot meals and bread bundles in the south and the north, it said.

Humanitarian aid begins moving into Gaza as ceasefire holds

02:07

Medical and emergency supplies are also pre-positioned now that access restrictions have been loosened.

Israel has also approved the U.N.’s bringing in 190,000 metric tons of aid, including food, shelter items, medicine and other supplies, the office said.

“This is just the beginning. As part of our plan for the first 60 days of the ceasefire, the UN and our partners will expand the scale and scope of our operations to deliver life-saving aid and services to virtually everyone across Gaza,” it said.

Trump insisted to reporters that the war in Gaza is over, despite Netanyahu’s suggesting the opposite in remarks earlier today.

“The war is over. The war is over. The war is over, OK? You understand that?” Trump said when he was asked about Netanyahu’s comments on Air Force One.

Netanyahu said in televised remarks that “the campaign is not over.”

“There are still very big security challenges ahead of us. Some of our enemies are trying to recover in order to attack us again,” he said.

Trump makes historic visit to Israel

01:05

Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad says Israeli is “manipulating the lists of prisoners” just hours before the hostage and prisoner exchange is due to take place.

Hamas has “completed the necessary arrangements” to hand over the hostages, but Israel “is stalling,” Hamad told Al Jazeera earlier today, before he called for “strict oversight” of Israel and “international pressure.”

“The coming hours will reveal the extent of the occupation’s commitment to the agreement,” he said about Israel. “And then we will determine our responses.”

Trump’s personal touch — both as a heavy hand and a gentle guide — played a pivotal role at key moments in the development of a Middle East peace deal that promises to bring an end to Israel’s two-year war in Gaza, current and former officials in the United States and other nations told NBC News.

Trump announced Wednesday that the “first phase” of the plan to end the conflict in Gaza had been agreed to, with a pause in fighting and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

Trump called it “a great deal” in a brief interview with NBC News on Thursday morning. “Everybody is happy,” he said.

The deal accelerated over several crucial moments — Israel’s strike on Qatar, discussions on the sidelines of the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York City and Jared Kushner’s conversations with his father-in-law, these sources said.

Also helpful, though, was an old-fashioned deadline.

Read the full story here.