Trump Tells Netanyahu "Be Nice, You're Not At War Anymore" Following Historic Israel-Hamas Ceasefire

New Delhi:

During his address to Israeli lawmakers in the Knesset on Monday, US President Donald Trump urged Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to adopt a gentler approach following the recent United States-brokered ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas.

"You can be nicer now, Bibi, you're not at war," Trump remarked, using Netanyahu's well-known childhood nickname that has persisted throughout his political career. The US President lavished praise on both the Israeli leader and himself for securing an agreement that he claimed "effectively ends the war and opens the door to durable peace" across West Asia.

Throughout the first nine months of Trump's second presidential term, he and Netanyahu have maintained frequent communication, including disagreements over Israel's armed conflict with Iran in June. Though Trump also claimed credit for that ceasefire, tensions arose when both leaders initially appeared to disregard the President's directives, prompting Trump to demand "Get me Bibi" before an uneasy peace was established.

"Peace is no longer just a hope... it is a reality. Israel, with US help, has won," Trump declared in his address today.

Earlier on Monday, Hamas released 20 hostages who had been captured during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The release occurred in two phases, with seven hostages initially handed over to Red Cross representatives, followed by thirteen more. Simultaneously, Israel freed Palestinian prisoners from a facility in the West Bank region.

Trump visited Israel specifically to celebrate the ceasefire and prisoner exchange. "This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East," he proclaimed, highlighting his role in ending the conflict and securing the hostages' freedom.

The US President also pledged a "golden age for Israel," comparing it to what he described as the current state of the United States.

"And after so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace, a land and a region that will live, God willing, in peace for all eternity," Trump stated.

Following his speech, Trump received an extended standing ovation lasting several minutes from the assembled Israeli lawmakers, many of whom expressed that "the world needs more Trumps."

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