JERUSALEM — U.S. President Donald Trump told cheering Israeli lawmakers Monday that “the long and painful nightmare is finally over,” after brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza that ended two years of war.

Delivering the first address by a U.S. president to Israel’s parliament since 2008, Trump declared that the day marked “the moment that everything began to change — and change very much for the better — in the Middle East.”

His speech to the Knesset coincided with the release of the final 20 living Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel is freeing 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 others detained during military operations in the enclave.

Trump’s whirlwind regional trip also includes a stop in Egypt for a peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and attended by world leaders.
“The second phase of negotiations on a peace agreement is under way,” Trump said after arriving in Egypt.

During his Knesset address, Trump proclaimed that the region was witnessing “the historic dawn of a new Middle East,” echoing the language he used when Israel signed normalization deals with Arab states during his first presidency.

“At last, not only for Israelis but also Palestinians, the long and painful nightmare is finally over,” he said, as lawmakers chanted “Trump, Trump, Trump” in celebration.

Calling the Gaza truce “the most challenging breakthrough of them all — maybe ever,” Trump reflected on his talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he urged restraint as the war dragged on.

“I said, ‘Bibi, you’re going to be remembered for this far more than if you kept this thing going, going, going, kill, kill, kill,’” Trump recalled.

The speech was briefly interrupted when an opposition lawmaker held up a sign reading “Recognize Palestine.” Security escorted at least one person from the chamber.

Netanyahu introduced Trump as “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House,” praising his “unremitting help” in securing the hostages’ release. “Everything changed in the American attitude to Israel’s campaign in Gaza when Trump was re-elected last year,” Netanyahu said.

Trump returned the compliment, calling Netanyahu “one of the greatest wartime leaders,” though “not the easiest guy to deal with.”

Among those accompanying Trump were U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and senior adviser Jared Kushner, who was greeted with loud applause alongside his wife, Ivanka Trump.

Many lawmakers wore red caps reading “Trump the Peace President.” The Knesset speaker hailed Trump as deserving of the next Nobel Peace Prize.

The Gaza ceasefire, which took effect Friday, is part of the first phase of Trump’s 20-point peace plan. The next stages — addressing Gaza’s reconstruction, governance, and long-term security — remain under negotiation.

“I am committed to this peace,” Netanyahu said in his closing remarks.— Agencies