‘They won’t want to disappoint me’: Donald Trump claims Gaza war is over

Aboard Air Force One en route to Israel and Egypt, U.S. President Donald Trump declared Sunday that "the war is over in Gaza," downplaying concerns about the fragile ceasefire and a controversial peace deal he brokered.

Speaking to reporters mid-flight, Trump, 79, insisted the conflict between Israel and Hamas had ended, saying, "The war is over. Okay? You understand that?" When asked if the ceasefire would hold, he added: "I think it's going to hold. I think people are tired of it. It's been centuries."

Trump’s trip marks a high-stakes push to cement his role in ending the Gaza war, capped by a summit in Egypt with over 20 world leaders backing his 20-point peace plan announced in September.

In Jerusalem, Trump will meet families of hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7, 2023 cross-border assault, before addressing the Israeli parliament. He will then fly to Cairo to co-host a regional peace summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

“This is a very special event,” Trump said earlier at Joint Base Andrews as he boarded Air Force One. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine are traveling with him.

Despite celebrating the deal as a diplomatic win, Trump acknowledged lingering uncertainties — including Hamas’s refusal to disarm and Israel’s hesitation to commit to a full military withdrawal from Gaza.

“We have a lot of verbal guarantees, and I don’t think they’re going to want to disappoint me,” Trump said, adding that he maintains a “very good” relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despite past tensions.

Trump also floated plans for a future visit to Gaza and confirmed that his plan involves setting up a new governing body for the enclave — potentially with him at the helm. “I’d like to put my feet on it at least,” he said.

He distanced himself slightly from appointing former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, saying he would confirm if Blair was “an acceptable choice to everybody.”