In a historic Knesset address, the U.S. president hails a fragile truce as the “start of a new era,” calls on Israel’s president to pardon Netanyahu, and heads to an Egypt peace summit as the last living hostages are freed
JERUSALEM/CAIRO | President Donald Trump told Israeli lawmakers that Israel has “won all it can by force of arms” and should now turn battlefield gains into a durable peace, hours before flying to Egypt for a summit on Gaza’s future. In the same Knesset speech, Trump stunned observers by urging Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who remains on trial for corruption—drawing loud ovations from much of the chamber.
The push comes as a U.S.-brokered ceasefire has produced its most significant breakthrough to date: the release of the last living Israeli hostages and a mass prisoner exchange, as humanitarian aid begins to surge into Gaza. Trump is expected to press Arab and European leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh to cement the truce’s first phase and build a pathway to reconstruction and regional de-escalation.
Trump’s remarks framed the moment as an inflection point after two years of war with Hamas and clashes involving Hezbollah and Iran. He promised U.S. support for Gaza’s rebuilding, while urging Palestinians to reject violence, and he cast the truce as a stepping stone toward a broader normalization push. Israeli and Palestinian streets showed rare scenes of relief during the exchanges, though aid groups warned of a race against time to address Gaza’s devastation.
The Netanyahu pardon gambit
Calling Netanyahu “one of the greatest” wartime leaders, Trump asked Herzog during the speech to grant a presidential pardon—a move that would be legally possible under Israel’s Basic Law but politically explosive while the trial is ongoing. Israeli and U.S. outlets reported the appeal in real time; the Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately indicate any change to Netanyahu’s travel plans or court schedule.
Hostage deal and Egypt summit goals
The ceasefire’s first phase, as described by regional and U.S. officials, includes hostage releases, a large prisoner exchange, expanded aid corridors, and partial IDF pullbacks from major Gazan cities—measures the administration hopes to lock in at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit. Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi will co-chair sessions with more than two dozen delegations. Skeptics warn past truces collapsed amid hardline pushback and governance disputes over post-war Gaza.
Why it matters
- Strategic reset: If the truce holds, it could rechannel U.S., Israeli, and Arab resources from active combat to stabilization, border security, and reconstruction.
- Domestic shockwaves: A pardon for Netanyahu—even floated publicly—could reshape Israeli politics and coalition dynamics during a sensitive transition from war footing.
- Regional spillover: De-escalation with Iran’s proxies (Hamas/Hezbollah) and expanded aid access are prerequisites for longer-term diplomacy, but spoilers remain potent.
What’s next
Trump heads to Egypt to lock in monitoring mechanisms for the ceasefire and outline a reconstruction roadmap conditioned on security benchmarks and disarmament provisions. Israeli officials signal they could resume operations if ceasefire violations mount, while Washington seeks to broaden Arab buy-in for Gaza’s governance and border arrangements.
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-- By James W. Thomas and Jasmine Thomas
Robert Douglass reported from Washington. 'TELL IT LIKE IT IS' World News Press writer Michele Robinson in Washington contributed to this report.
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