Gaza peace deal my greatest achievement – Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump has described the newly brokered Gaza peace agreement as “the biggest thing I’ve ever been involved in.”

Speaking aboard Air Force One on his way to Israel on Sunday night, October 12, Trump said the deal—which coincides with the planned release of the last 20 surviving Israeli hostages held by Hamas—marks a potential end to a conflict that, according to Gaza’s health ministry, has claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives.

Trump’s visit to Israel centers on his address to the Knesset on Monday morning, where he said his message to Israelis would be “Love and peace for eternity.” His itinerary also includes meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and families of the freed hostages.

The president recounted watching a rally held in Tel Aviv on Saturday in support of the hostages, featuring his daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner, and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump called it “an incredible rally,” noting that the crowd cheered his name enthusiastically but reportedly booed Netanyahu when Witkoff mentioned him.

Looking ahead, Trump said he was optimistic about the international peace conference scheduled for Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, which aims to solidify support for the Gaza deal. He praised the broad participation of nations as evidence of “global unity” behind the agreement.

While acknowledging that Egypt managed the guest list, Trump said he was unsure why Netanyahu was not expected to attend but described Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s participation as “a very good sign.”

Trump also linked the success of the Gaza deal to his earlier decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities in June. He claimed the move weakened Iran’s influence and made Hamas more willing to compromise, allowing Arab and Muslim nations to rally around finalizing the peace accord.