He bathed in waves of adulation from Israeli leaders for more than an hour before giving his own lengthy speech to Israel’s parliament on Monday.

The local politicians hailed their guest as a hero, crediting him with achieving peace and getting the hostages home from Hamas captivity.

Two Knesset members were removed after they interrupted proceedings by calling for the recognition of a Palestinian state. However, the prevailing mood was celebratory for Trump, his team, and Netanyahu.

Trump had already claimed that the conflict was “over,” even though the ceasefire had just begun and numerous challenging aspects of the peace plan remained unresolved.

He went further by encouraging Israel to shift focus from conflict towards achieving lasting peace in the region, envisioning this peace to endure “for the rest of eternity.”

“So Israel, with our help has won all that they can by force of arms,” he says.

“You’ve won. I mean, you’ve won. 

“Now it’s time to transform these battlefield victories against terrorists into the ultimate achievement of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.”

“It’s about time you were able to enjoy the fruits of your labour.” 

The president also vowed to assist in the reconstruction of Gaza, where, according to the health ministry overseen by Hamas, Israeli offensives have resulted in the deaths of 67,000 Palestinians following the attacks on Southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Hamas militants had killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages, with the last living ones returned to Israel on Monday. Some families are still waiting for the remains of 28 hostages.

Trump said Palestinians in Gaza should spend time on “building their people up, instead of trying to tear Israel down”.

“The choice for Palestinians could not be more clear,” he said. 

“This is their chance to turn forever from the path of terror and violence … to exile the wicked forces of hate that are in their midst. 

“And I think that’s going to happen. I’ve met some people over the last couple of months that want to see it happen very much.”

Call for Netanyahu’s pardon

The Republican president also used the opportunity to settle political scores and thank his supporters, criticising Democratic predecessors and praising a top donor, Miriam Adelson, in the audience.

In an unexpected detour, Trump also called on the Israeli president to pardon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who he described as “one of the greatest” wartime leaders. Netanyahu faces corruption charges, although several hearings have been postponed during the conflict with Hamas.

Earlier, Netanyahu called for Trump to be given not just next year’s Nobel Peace Prize but also the Israel Prize, the country’s highest honour, which has never been awarded to a foreigner before.

He called Trump “the greatest friend that the state of Israel has ever had in the White House”, declaring it was “not even close”.

“President, you are committed to this peace, I am committed to this peace and together, Mr President, we will achieve this peace,” he said.

Ayman Odeh, the head of the Hadash-Ta’al party who was removed alongside fellow party member Ofer Cassif, said the “hypocrisy” inside the parliament was “unbearable”.

“To crown Netanyahu through flattery the likes of which has never been seen, through an orchestrated group, does not absolve him and his government of the crimes against humanity committed in Gaza, nor of the responsibility for the blood of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian victims and thousands of Israeli victims,” he said in a post on X translated by Al Jazeera.

“But only because of the ceasefire and the overall deal am I here.

“Only ending the occupation, and only recognising the State of Palestine alongside Israel, will bring justice, peace, and security to all.”

Palestinians rejoice at release of prisoners from Israel

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and elsewhere rejoiced as Israel said it had released more then 1900 prisoners as part of the ceasefire deal.

Waving flags and wearing keffiyehs, hundreds gathered outside the Ramallah Palace of Culture to greet them one such release.

Reports by human rights groups detailing conditions in Israeli detention have made Palestinian prisoners enduring symbols of their people’s struggle.

“It was an indescribable journey of suffering — hunger, unfair treatment, oppression, torture and curses — more than anything you could imagine,” said Kamal Abu Shanab, a 51-year-old Fatah member from Tulkarem.

Most prisoners were serving long sentences for their involvement in deadly attacks against Israelis.

An Egyptian official said 154 Palestinian prisoners who were released and deported by Israel arrived in Egypt at the Rafah crossing with Gaza.

Huge job ahead for aid workers in Gaza

As the UN  distributed hundreds of thousands of hot meals and bread bundles in southern and northern Gaza on Monday, Perth woman Tess Ingram, a UNICEF spokesperson, was among those back in the occupied territory to help.

“I think that optimism is mixed with a sense of grief and loss among people as they realise what has been taken from them over the last two years,” she told A Current Affair, agreeing that it did feel like the war was “over” on the ground.

“I’m in Gaza city in the north, where I’ve spoken to families who’ve just returned here after the intense Israeli bombardment of the last two months, and they’re finding their homes and their neighborhoods in ruins.”

Ingram, whose UNICEF vehicle was hit with bullets while working in Gaza last year, drove though the east and northern parts of Gaza City yesterday and described it as a “skeleton city”.

“There’s no life, no colour, just bones,” she said.

“And it really affects you to see that at such a dramatic scale.”

She said the agency’s first priority was basic survival needs such as food, clean drinking water and medicine, before turning to preparing children for the winter.

“They don’t have blankets and children need winter clothes,” she told A Current Affair.

“One of our aims for this ceasefire is to try and give every child under 10 a set of winter clothes and a new pair of shoes.”

Trump on whirlwind trip to Middle East

The US president was set to continue to Egypt for a peace summit with more than two dozen other nations, although he was running hours late as speeches at the Knesset continued longer than expected.

“They might not be there by the time I get there, but we’ll give it a shot,” Trump joked after needling Israeli leaders for talking so much.

He stepped on to Air Force One at Ben Gurion Airport in Jerusalem about 4.15pm on Monday (12.15am Tuesday AEDT) and touched down at Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport not long after for the summit in the Red Sea resort.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi praised Trump as the “only one” who could bring peace to the region.

During an impromptu bilateral meeting, Trump called el-Sissi “very powerful” and noted that there is “no crime” in Egypt.

There had been a chance that Netanyahu would join, and Egypt even announced his attendance. However, Netanyahu’s office said later that he would not be going because the summit was too close to the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.

Trump pushes to reshape the region

The moment remains fragile, with Israel and Hamas still in the early stages of implementing the first phase of Trump’s plan.

The first phase of the ceasefire agreement calls for the release of the final hostages held by Hamas; the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel; a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza; and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from Gaza’s main cities.

With families overjoyed at the impending reunions and Palestinians eager for a surge of humanitarian assistance, Trump thinks there is a narrow window to reshape the region and reset long-fraught relations between Israel and its Arab neighbours.

“Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change,” he told the Knesset.

– Reported with Associated Press