During his speech to Israel’s parliament coinciding with the start of a US-mediated ceasefire with Hamas, President Donald Trump humorously referenced his daughter’s marriage.

Trump, who is 79, shared in his peace address on Monday morning that his daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her spouse Jared Kushner, had joined him on the trip to Israel.

“I extend a very heartfelt thanks to someone who holds Israel dear, so much so that my daughter decided to convert,” the president remarked to the Knesset.

Cameras panned to Kushner who was seen mouthing ‘thank you’ to his father-in-law. 

‘I didn’t know this was going to happen,’ Trump continued. ‘And Ivanka is here.’

He was met with a standing ovation as he offered the summit of world leaders a little inside look at the couple’s personal life.

“Bibi, you know this wasn’t something I had envisioned. She’s incredibly happy, and he is too—or so I think. If not, that’s a whole other story,” he quipped.

Trump then clarified: ‘No, they have a great marriage and they get along great. They’re best friends and have a very special relationship.’

The US and Egyptian presidents chaired a gathering of world leaders dubbed the Summit for Peace on Monday to support the breakthrough ceasefire deal in the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war.

Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza on Monday, while Israel began releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and had left scores of captives in militant hands.

Cheering crowds greeted buses of prisoners in the West Bank, while families and friends of the hostages gathered in a square in Tel Aviv, Israel, cried out with joy and relief as news arrived that the captives were free.

The hostages, all men, have arrived back in Israel, where they will reunite with family and undergo medical checks. 

The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear.

Buses carrying dozens of freed Palestinian prisoners arrived in Beitunia, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, and in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Prisoners Office said, as Israel began releasing more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire deal.

While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group. 

The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that he was ‘committed to this peace’ in a speech to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

Later Monday, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit with leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East.

Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, will attend, according to a judge and adviser to Abbas, Mahmoud al-Habbash.

Egypt’s presidency said Netanyahu would attend as well, but the Israel leader’s office later said he would not because due to a Jewish holiday.

The plan envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority – something Netanyahu has long opposed.

But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that could take years.

The plan also calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. 

It said Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 US troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire.

The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu. 

The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The attack saw some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage.

In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. 

The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the United Nations and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting.

The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90 per cent of its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.