Trump Takes Flight to Israel Amid Hostage Release

President Donald Trump departed for Israel on Sunday, aiming to meet with the families of Israeli hostages and address the Knesset.

This trip aligns with the recent release of the last remaining hostages, a milestone achieved through a ceasefire and hostage release agreement brokered by Trump between Israel and Hamas.

Taking off from Joint Base Andrews around 5 p.m. Eastern time, Trump’s flight is set to last approximately 10.5 hours.

Traveling with him are several key figures from the White House, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, among others.

In comments to the press before boarding, President Trump expressed his enthusiasm for the peace deal, stating, “There are 500,000 people yesterday and today in Israel, and also the Muslim and Arab countries are all cheering. Everybody’s cheering at one time — that’s never happened before.”

During the flight, Trump was asked about the hostage release deal, to which he cautiously remarked, “Well, I hear the hostages might be [released] even a little bit early, but I don’t want to say that. So they have the hostages — I understand all 20 — and we may get them out a little bit early. Getting them was amazing, actually, because we were involved and they were in places that you don’t want to know about.”

He added, “They’re getting them, and they’re also getting the bodies, approximately 28 bodies. … It’s a tragedy,” reflecting on the situation.

Trump also proclaimed that the Israel-Hamas conflict “is over,” expressing hope that the ceasefire will remain intact.

Stating, “The war is over. The war is over,” he continued, “I think [the ceasefire] is going to hold. I think people are… a lot of reasons why it’s gonna hold, but I think people are tired of it. It’s been — it’s been centuries.”

Upon arrival in Israel, President Trump’s visit will include a brief ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport, followed by a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his address to the Knesset.

On Monday, he is expected to attend an international summit at a Red Sea resort in Egypt to finalize the peace agreement. His trip will conclude with a meeting with hostage families in the Knesset’s Chagall Hall.

Looking ahead, Trump plans to honor fallen conservative activist Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on October 14th.

He remarked, “It’s a very quick trip, but I’ll be making two major stops, and then I’ll be on the plane trying to get back in time for Charlie. They’re going to have a great celebration at the White House — in the East Room of the White House.”