Donald Trump promises ‘full’ Middle East reconstruction, says ‘Little hotspots exist but…'

US president Donald Trump is headed for Israel. Ahead of the trip to West Asia, US President Donald Trump pledged to oversee the ‘full reconstruction of the Middle East’, emphasising that his plans extend beyond Gaza to the entire region.

President Trump asserted that the initiative would enable people to “live in peace,” acknowledging that while “little hotspots” of conflict persist, “they’ll be very easy to put out.”

Trump is set to travel to Israel in the near future, where he will address the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, before proceeding to Egypt.

President Trump emphasised that “everybody wants this deal (Gaza ceasefire resolution) to happen,” signalling broad support for his diplomatic efforts in the region.

While talking to reporters from the Oval office of White House, Donald Trump said, "Bodies of Israeli hostages ‘being UNEARTHED right now. Approximately 28 BODIES. On Monday, the hostages come BACK, they’re getting them now’.

Trump to visit Israel and Egypt following Gaza ceasefire, hostages to be released

President Donald Trump has announced plans to travel to Cairo and Jerusalem to commemorate a recent agreement that has halted hostilities in Gaza and paved the way for the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Trump to meet global leaders in Cairo

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said he would be meeting with “a lot of leaders from all over the world” who had been invited to Cairo for a ceremony celebrating the deal between Israel and Hamas. The agreement establishes a truce and sets terms for the release of hostages captured during the October 2023 attacks.

Trump to Address Knesset

The US president also indicated that he would address the Knesset in Israel to mark the agreement, which could signal the end of a two-year conflict that has devastated Gaza and heightened tensions across the region.

“I think it will hold. They’re all tired of the fighting,” Trump said, expressing optimism that the truce could endure and that reconstruction in Gaza might soon begin.

Details of the hostage and prisoner Gaza deal

The Gaza ceasefire agreement, brokered by the United States alongside Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, follows negotiations to implement a 20-point peace plan unveiled by Trump last week. Under the terms:

Hamas is expected to release approximately 20 surviving hostages and the remains of over two dozen who perished in captivity.

• Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
• Humanitarian aid to Gaza will resume.
• Israel has confirmed that a ceasefire is now in effect as of Thursday.
• Ongoing negotiations and regional challenges

Despite the truce, several issues remain unresolved, including the long-term reconstruction and governance of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Hamas, designated a terrorist organisation by both the United States and the European Union, disarm and relinquish any role in governing the territory. Hamas has not yet agreed to these conditions.

Trump's Brief visit planned before returning to Washington

Donald Trump indicated that his visit to the Middle East would be brief, as he intends to return to Washington by Tuesday to posthumously award the slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour.

(With Bloomberg inputs)