US President Donald Trump’s address to the Israeli parliament (Knesset) to celebrate the Gaza ceasefire deal was interrupted by left-wing Israeli lawmakers demanding recognition of a Palestinian state.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The incident occurred as Trump praised his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, for his role in brokering the peace deal. Two members of the Knesset were quickly ejected after displaying a “Recognise Palestine” slogan.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana apologized for the commotion. Impressed by the security team’s swift action, Trump drew laughter by calling the removal “very efficient.”
The Gaza Peace Deal and Praise for Netanyahu
During his speech, Trump, who arrived to oversee the final hostage release, declared the two-year-old conflict “over.”
- He praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for doing a “great job” in securing the truce, calling it the “historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
- The deal, mediated by Washington, saw Hamas free the last 20 surviving Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel releasing dozens of Palestinian prisoners.
- Trump stated the release marked a turning point, saying, “The hostages are back. It feels so good to say it.”
The Path to Peace: Sharm el-Sheikh Summit
Trump’s remarks came just before he traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to attend a summit with over 20 world leaders. They will discuss the next steps for his 20-point peace blueprint for Gaza.
The blueprint aims to address the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault and the subsequent conflict, which has claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives and left nearly all of Gaza’s 2.2 million people homeless. The summit will focus on moving forward to secure a lasting peace in the region.
