Trump declares the Gaza war ‘is over’

President Donald Trump declares the Gaza war is over, despite Israel having accepted only phase one of the deal as Hamas suggests it will not disarm.

By World Israel News Staff

President Donald Trump declared that the war in Gaza “is over” ahead of his arrival in Israel to mark the return of the hostages held by Hamas.

Speaking with reporters on board Air Force One en route to Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport overnight, Trump responded to questions about the future of his comprehensive peace deal, including uncertainties regarding its full implementation.

When a reporter noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not declared the war in Gaza over, and in fact threatened a resumption of the fighting should Hamas not abide by the full terms of the deal, Trump insisted that “The war is over.”

“The war is over, the war is over. Okay? You understand that?”

“I think it is going to hold,” Trump continued. “I think people are tired of it. It has been centuries.”

“We have a lot of verbal guarantees, and I don’t think they’re going to want to disappoint me.”

The president emphasized that he had a “very good” relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu, despite “some disputes with him,” adding that the differences were always “quickly settled.”

“I think he was the right person at this time,” Trump added.

Speaking on the phone with Axios during the overnight flight to Israel, the president said that Gaza deal “could be the biggest thing I was ever involved in.”

Trump also gave a preview of his upcoming address at the Knesset, saying the theme would be “love and peace for eternity,” reiterating his belief that the Gaza deal will be fully implemented, despite lingering questions over Hamas’ willingness to disarm and surrender control over areas under its control in the Gaza Strip.

Prior to his departure, Trump penned a letter to the Speaker of the Knesset, MK Amir Ohana, touting his Gaza deal as “one of the greatest diplomatic achievements in history.”

“We cannot rest until peace is fully realized and sustained,” Trump wrote. “Together, we will forge a future of security, prosperity, and peace in Israel, the region, and beyond.”