Trump plans Egypt visit for Gaza peace deal signing, says 'there will be disarming' in next phase

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump said on Thursday, October 9, during a cabinet meeting that disarmament and pullbacks will be central to achieving lasting peace in Gaza.

Trump said that he would try to travel to Egypt next week to formally sign the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

“There will be disarming, there will be pullbacks, there will be a lot of things happening,” Trump said, referring to the next stage of the deal.

“I think it will take place, and I think you can end up with peace in the Middle East. But we have to get our hostages back,” he added.

Trump says Gaza deal could bring ‘everlasting peace’ in the region

Trump is of the view that the peace agreement could mark a turning point in the history of the region.

“I think it’s going to be a lasting peace, hopefully an everlasting peace. Peace in the Middle East,” he said.

"We secured the release of all of the remaining hostages and they should be released on Monday or Tuesday.... and that will be a day of joy," the president remarked. 

The president also thanked the countries that helped him with the plan during an address from the White House.

He said, "I want to thank the countries that helped me put this together- Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and so many others, so many people, fought so hard. This is a big day, we will see how it all turns out."

The president added, "This is a very special day, maybe unprecedented in many ways."

In the end, he said, "Everybody was unified in wanting this war to end and seeing peace in the Middle East, and we are very close to achieving that."

Trump confirms hostage release, calls it a ‘day of joy’

Trump said that the administration expects the remaining hostages held by Hamas to be released by Monday or Tuesday next week, calling it “a day of joy.”

However, he cautioned that recovering the bodies of those who have died in captivity remains difficult. 

“Actually, the bodies are a bigger problem, because some of the bodies are going to be a little bit hard to find,” he told reporters.

Trump added, “The situation with the bodies, you know, they say 20, 28, some are going to be a little bit hard to find. But we're going to do the best we can.”

He also hinted at plans to rebuild Gaza into a livable area following years of destruction. “We’re going to create something where people can live. You can’t live right now in Gaza,” he said.

Trump plans visit to Egypt for formal peace deal signing

Trump confirmed he is “trying to make a trip over” to the region next week, including a stop in Egypt to witness the formal signing of the peace agreement.

He described the moment as historic and said he hoped it would mark the start of lasting regional stability. 

Anouncing the peace deal Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday, “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL of the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw its troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a strong, durable and everlasting Peace.”