President Donald Trump fought hard to bring Israeli hostages home "before he even took office, and today he accomplished what no other world leader could," Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters said Monday.
"The long-awaited release of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7th is finally happening," Gruters said in a statement.
"For more than two years, these families lived with unimaginable pain and anguish. President Trump fought to bring these hostages home before he even took office, and today he accomplished what no other world leader could."
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 people to Gaza.
Trump on Monday in Israel called for a commitment on all sides to end fighting in favor of rebuilding — and even extended an appeal to Iran for "friendship and cooperation."
"The hostages are back. The hostages are back," Trump said in his first stop on a quick visit to the Middle East that included a stop in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for the formal signing of the peace deal.
"It feels good to say."
"Israel has won all that can be won by force of arms," Trump told the Knesset.
"Together, we have shown that peace is not just a hope we can dream about; it is a reality we can build upon."
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement called for the release of the final hostages held by Hamas, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from Gaza's main cities.
Trump has said there's a window to reshape the region and reset long-fraught relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
"The war is over, OK?" Trump told reporters traveling with him aboard Air Force One.
"I think people are tired of it," he said, emphasizing that he believed the ceasefire would hold because of that.
He said the chance of peace was enabled by his Republican administration's support of Israel's decimation of Iranian proxies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Newsmax Wires contributed to this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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