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.

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) was quick to give President Donald Trump credit for securing the deal that could finally end the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas terrorists.

Kelly sat down with CNN anchor Dana Bash on Sunday’s broadcast of “State of the Union” — when phase one of the deal was already beginning to unfold — and he said that Trump deserved “a lot of credit” for setting things in motion to bring about a deal.

WATCH:

Sen. Mark Kelly on ceasefire deal in Gaza: I think Trump “should get a lot of credit.” pic.twitter.com/iFopebsXTI

— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) October 12, 2025

“How much credit does President Trump deserve for this deal?” Bash asked Kelly to open the conversation.

“I think he should get a lot of credit. I mean, this was his deal,” Kelly replied. “He worked this out. He sent [Middle East Envoy] Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner over to negotiate this. And so far, it’s gone well.”

“Hopefully, the hostages get released here — might not be within 24 hours — but certainly, I think, by Monday. And that’s progress. And now we’re going to have to see what happens next,” Kelly continued, referencing the moves already being made in Gaza to see the last of the hostages released.

He went on to say that he hoped to see the rest of the deal come to pass as promised, with other nations in the surrounding area stepping up to help Gaza rebuild.

“You know, my hope is the Saudis, the Emiratis, they step up and they do what they said they would do, which is invest in rebuilding Gaza, which 90 percent of the homes have been destroyed. It is such a tragic situation,” he said. “It’s good to see these 600 aid trucks. That should have been happening over the last two years. You know, feed people who just are starving and struggling.”

Just hours after Kelly’s interview, President Donald Trump took off in Air Force One, heading to Israel to greet the living hostages who are expected to be released in the coming hours.

Air Force One is officially WHEELS UP to Israel — where President Trump is expected to land at about 2:20 AM Eastern Time 🛫🇺🇸🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/k2fO6hEQaT

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 12, 2025