Trump says he’d be ‘proud’ to visit Gaza, declares end of war as he heads to Israel

US President Donald Trump said he would be “proud” to visit Gaza in the future, expressing optimism about the region’s recovery following the end of the war. In a video and audio clip shared by multiple accounts on X, Trump told Fox News’ Peter Doocy aboard Air Force One, “I’d be proud to do it,” when asked if he would ever visit Gaza. He continued, “I’d like to do it.” I’d like to put my feet on it, at least. But I think it’s going to be a great miracle over the coming decades.”

He also made a cautionary approach, knowing how delicate things are: “If you go too fast, that’s not going to be good. You have to go at the right speed. Can’t go too fast.”



The President added that after his stop in Israel, he would travel to Egypt to continue discussions with regional leaders.

Also Read: Trump to become fourth US president and second Republican to address Israel’s Knesset following ceasefire deal

During his interactions with reporters, Trump declared that the war in Gaza had ended and the Middle East was moving toward normalization. “The war is over, you understand that,” adding that world leaders were preparing to take the next steps toward peace.

Trump’s Gaza visit

In a press conference in February this year, he praised Israel and revealed he wanted to go there, including his plan to visit Gaza, Saudi Arabia, and the Middle east. “The Middle East is an incredible place—so vibrant, one of the most beautiful places with great people,” Trump said before adding, “But bad leadership has allowed this to happen.”

Who is visiting Israel with Trump?

Key Trump administration and White House officials accompanying him include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, State Department chief of protocol Monica Crowley, and White House aides Stephen Miller, Dan Scavino, Steven Cheung, Karoline Leavitt, and Will Scharf, confirms NBC news.

Trump's visit to the country comes as Israel prepares to receive the hostages as part of the deal, after they have been held captive by Hamas since the October 7, 2023, attacks.

Israel-Gaza ceasefire

Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas is due by noon on Monday (0900 GMT) to release the remaining hostages. They were taken captive on October 7, 2023 when the group's militants launched the surprise attack on Israel that ignited the war. Israel's hostages coordinator Gal Hirsch said on Thursday a task force would be formed to help find the remains of any dead hostages that Hamas could not locate, as per Reuters.

The United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey mediated what has been described as a first-phase agreement between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire and the release of Hamas hostages as well as Israeli prisoners and detainees.