Netanyahu Praises Trump for Role in Peace and Hostage Return

Netanyahu, in an address to the Knesset, stated that his government has “brought back all the kidnapped hostages alive and is committed to returning the bodies of the deceased,” highlighting the crucial role Trump played in their return. He added that “Israel did what was necessary to respond to what happened on October 7,” continuing: “Trump’s peace proposal was accepted by the countries of the world, ended the war, and achieved all our goals.” Netanyahu thanked Trump for recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and confronting lies at the United Nations, as well as for recognizing in 2020 Israel’s sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, in addition to the United States’ withdrawal from the catastrophic Iranian nuclear deal. He stated that “Trump is the greatest friend Israel has had,” asserting that with Trump, they will achieve peace, as was accomplished in the “Abraham Accords for Peace.” Netanyahu also emphasized that he refused to end the war without a commitment to disarm “Hamas,” noting that it was ended in a way that ensured “Hamas” was disarmed and that Gaza would not pose a threat. Netanyahu was set to travel to Sharm El-Sheikh to attend the peace summit to stop the war in the Gaza Strip. He thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for inviting him to the scheduled Sharm El-Sheikh summit to end the war in Gaza, explaining that he would not be able to participate due to the upcoming holiday. Meanwhile, the Egyptian presidency stated that “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend the peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh due to religious holidays,” noting that President Trump had suggested Netanyahu’s participation during his phone call with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Earlier today, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump while he was in Israel. The Egyptian presidency stated in a statement that President El-Sisi and Benjamin Netanyahu agreed on his attendance at the peace summit, which would also include Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli Channel 12 reported earlier that Netanyahu, during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, referred to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. Israeli Channel 12 also reported earlier today the delivery of the second batch of the 13 Israeli hostages to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Earlier today, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the release of the first seven hostages from the Gaza Strip.