President on Monday heralded a “new beginning” for the Middle East, a statement made prior to his address to the Israeli parliament, as Hamas completed the release of all 20 living Israeli hostages held captive in Gaza.

Trump arrived in Israel on Monday morning, timing his visit to coincide with the exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners between and Hamas.

“This is my great honor — a great and beautiful day. A new beginning,” Trump inscribed in a guest book.

The 20 living Israeli hostages were freed Monday as part of an agreement aimed at concluding the conflict that originated with the October 7, 2023, assault by Hamas terrorists. Concurrently, Israel commenced the release of approximately 2,000 Palestinians, including 250 identified as terrorists.

Trump received multiple standing ovations from Israeli lawmakers as he prepared to deliver a speech, following his meeting with the families of the hostages.

According to excerpts released by the White House, Trump plans to declare “the historic dawn of a new ” in his Knesset speech and assert that “generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change.”

Trump will also strongly maintain that “Israel has won all that can be won by force of arms,” adding that “it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity.”

In a conciliatory gesture towards , which engaged in a brief conflict with Israel earlier this year, Trump intends to state that “the hand of friendship and cooperation is always open.”

Following his visit to Israel, the president is then scheduled to proceed to Egypt, where Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi will jointly lead a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. This gathering will include leaders from more than 20 countries and will focus on peace in Gaza and the wider Middle East.

Reporting contributed by Digital’s Rachel Wolf and