US President to travel from Washington to Israel and Egypt as peace ceremony looms
US President Donald Trump will meet with relatives of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza before delivering a historic address to the Israeli Knesset, the White House announced early Sunday.
A Symbolic Visit Amid Tense Negotiations
According to the presidential schedule released in Washington, Air Force One is set to depart later today and land in Tel Aviv around 9:20 a.m. local time on Monday. The meeting with families of hostages — whose loved ones have been detained since the October escalation — is expected to take place inside the Knesset building, shortly before Trump’s speech to Israeli lawmakers at 11:00 a.m.
The visit comes at a critical juncture in Middle East diplomacy. The US has been mediating indirect talks between Israel and Hamas through Qatar and Egypt, aiming to finalise the first phase of Trump’s proposed “Peace in the Middle East” plan, unveiled in late September.
From Tel Aviv to Sharm el-Sheikh
Following his address, Trump will travel to the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he is expected to attend a high-profile Peace Ceremony for the Middle East. The event, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. local time, is set to mark the formal signing of a peace agreement between Hamas and Israel.
According to the White House, the ceremony will be attended by more than 20 world leaders, including representatives from Greece and Cyprus, both invited by Washington to participate in the discussions.
A Swift Diplomatic Circuit
Trump is expected to leave Egypt later on Monday evening and return directly to Washington, concluding one of the most tightly choreographed diplomatic missions of his presidency. The dual visit underscores Washington’s ambition to project leadership in a region still scarred by conflict — and to claim ownership of what could become a historic peace deal between two long-standing adversaries.
