US President Donald Trump is set to embark on a whirlwind diplomatic visit to Israel and Egypt on Sunday, where he will address the Israeli parliament and participate in a signing ceremony of the Gaza peace deal.
The President will depart the White House on Sunday afternoon, arriving in Tel Aviv early Monday morning local time. The tightly scheduled visit includes a private meeting with families of hostages at the Knesset, followed by a public address to Israeli lawmakers.
This is Trump’s first visit to Israel after he announced the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. This visit also coincides with the implementation of the first phase of the Gaza Peace Plan.
After Israel, Trump will head to Egypt, which held negotiations between Israel and Hamas after Trump unveiled the 21-point Gaza Peace Plan, which also included the disarmament of the Hamas group.
The centrepiece of the visit will be a peace ceremony in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday afternoon. Trump had previously announced plans to travel to Egypt for an official signing of a ceasefire deal, though specific details about the agreement have not been disclosed in the official schedule.
The President’s itinerary shows him spending less than seven hours on the ground in Israel before departing for Egypt, where he will remain for approximately three hours before beginning the journey back to Washington.
The visit follows what has been described as phase one of an Israel-Gaza deal, with 200 US troops reportedly arriving to establish a coordination centre. The President’s decision to address the Knesset underscores the significance Washington places on its relationship with Jerusalem.
The meeting with hostage families, scheduled as a closed-press event, is likely to be among the most sensitive portions of the visit. The President is expected to return to the White House shortly after midnight on Tuesday.
The trip marks Trump’s latest engagement in Middle East diplomacy, coming months after a visit to Gulf states earlier this year. The compressed timeline of the visit reflects the urgency both Washington and regional capitals are placing on reaching a comprehensive agreement.
Officials have not provided additional details about who will attend the Sharm El Sheikh ceremony or what specific agreements may be formalised during the event. (ANI)
