US President Donald Trump landed on Monday in Israel to mark a US-brokered ceasefire as Hamas begins releasing Israeli hostages after two years of war.
Air Force One touched down at Ben-Gurion International Airport at 9.42am after flying over Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where tens of thousands were gathered, on the way to landing.
The flyover came just after the first seven hostages arrived in Israel from Gaza. Over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners will be released as well.
Trump wants to expand Abraham Accords
In a ceasefire-related report yesterday, the Associated Press outlined Donald Trump’s intention to expand the Abraham Accords, a cluster of agreements signed in September 2020, with the aim of normalising relations between Israel and several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco.
Mediated by the United States, the Abraham Accords promote mutual understanding and peaceful co-existence.
The AP report said the White House has signalled that Trump is looking to quickly return attention to building on the Abraham Accords. A permanent agreement in Gaza would help pave the path for Trump to begin talks with Saudi Arabia as well as Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country, towards normalising ties with Israel, according to a senior Trump administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity.
Such a deal with Saudi Arabia, the most powerful and wealthy Arab state, has the potential to reshape the region and boost Israel’s standing in historic ways.
But brokering such an agreement remains a heavy lift as the kingdom has said it will not officially recognise Israel before a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
