President Donald Trump said that the war between Israel and the terror group Hamas “is over” on Sunday.
The president made the declaration while flying to Israel aboard Air Force One. Trump is expected to land in Israel on Monday and greet families of hostages, as well as hostages just released by Hamas as part of the first phase in the Trump-led peace deal.
Trump followed up his statement with a softer degree of confidence in the ceasefire, however.
“I think it’s going to hold,” he replied when asked about the ceasefire. “I think people are – lot of reasons why it’s going to hold – but I think people are tired of it. It’s been centuries, okay? Not just recent, it’s been centuries, and I think people are tired of it.”
“The war is over,” says @POTUS on his Gaza Peace Deal.
“I think [the ceasefire] is going to hold… I think people are tired.” pic.twitter.com/0qztDnxZmN
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 12, 2025
The president also said that Hamas has “all 20” hostages, referring to those hostages still alive in Gaza.
“They have the hostages — I understand all 20 — and we may get them out a little bit early. Getting them was amazing actually because we were involved, and they were in places that you don’t want to know about,” said Trump.
Twenty-eight other hostages are believed to be dead and their bodies are supposed to be returned as well, but Israeli officials are concerned that Hamas has lost some of them in Gaza. It is unclear how many bodies may be returned to Israel.
After the hostages are returned to Israel, Jerusalem will release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and another 1,700 Gazans detained after October 7. Many of the prisoners to be released by Israel are known terrorists, and some have been recaptured after being released in earlier exchanges.
As part of the ceasefire, the Israel Defense Forces have pulled back from the heart of Gaza to a predetermined boundary, though the Israeli military has not left Gaza.
While in Israel, Trump will deliver a speech to the Knesset before departing Israel for Sharm El-Sheikh, the coastal Egyptian town where negotiators hammered out the ceasefire and peace agreement. While there, the president will take part in a “Middle East Peace Ceremony” before boarding Air Force One back to Washington.
