LONDON: Standing before Israeli lawmakers in Jerusalem on Monday, US President Donald Trump declared an end to what he called “a long and painful nightmare.” Twenty surviving hostages had just been released from Gaza after more than two years in captivity.
In return, Israel has begun freeing almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire with Hamas.
“For so many families across this land, it has been years since you’ve known a single day of true peace,” Trump told the Knesset. “Not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and for many others, the long and painful nightmare is finally over.”
A crowd gathers around a bus carrying Palestinian prisoners who were released from an Israeli prison as part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas as it arrives to Ramallah, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, hailed Trump as “the greatest friend of Israel.”
