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U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that no one will be forced to leave Gaza under the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States, which he described as "all finalized and done."
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said the plan does not involve the displacement of Palestinians. "Nobody is going to be forced to leave. It is the opposite... No, we’re not looking to do that at all," he said.
The president added that he intends to travel to the Middle East over the weekend as the ceasefire takes effect. "I think it’s going to be great. I think the hostages will be coming back Monday or Tuesday. I’ll probably be there. I hope to be there. And we’re planning on leaving sometime Sunday, and I look forward to it," he said.
Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government convened Thursday to vote on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement. The meeting began with a security briefing by Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner reportedly joined the session after holding talks with Netanyahu. The cabinet meeting followed hours of delay after an earlier Security Cabinet discussion ended without a vote.
In a separate development, Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana extended an official invitation to Trump to deliver a speech before parliament, citing his role in brokering the ceasefire and securing the release of Israeli hostages.
"Ohana praised Trump’s leadership, courage, persistence, and vision, saying they led to an unprecedented regional agreement accepted by nearly every nation in the Middle East," according to a statement posted on his official X account.
If accepted, Trump’s appearance would mark the first address by a sitting U.S. president to the Israeli Knesset since George W. Bush in 2008.
The ceasefire was announced early Thursday following four days of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. The talks were mediated by Türkiye, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.
When asked about potential plans for international stabilization forces in Gaza, Trump said the issue remains under discussion. "To be determined, really. I think there’s going to be a large group of people determining what it will be, and a group of people funding it—very rich countries are going to be funding it," he said. "People want to see this work. It’s going to work. It’s absolutely going to work. And it starts. It’s already started," he added.
Hamas said it received assurances from mediators and the U.S. that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has fully ended, confirming that the ceasefire includes an Israeli withdrawal, reopening of the Rafah crossing, humanitarian access, and the release of more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, including all women and children.
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