Trump says of Gaza ceasefire talks: "a lot of people said we were wasting our time"

On Oct. 13, 2025, the last twenty living captives held in Gaza came home after more than two years, and several were seriously ill. That same day, President Donald Trump went to Jerusalem and spoke to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, after a ceasefire was announced on Oct. 9 and following his 20-point proposal for peace; he was one of only four sitting U.S. presidents to address that body. In his speech, he talked about the negotiations behind the deal and gave credit to Americans who helped bring it about. The event marked the ceasefire and hostage-return arrangement, which also included expected releases of Palestinian prisoners and the return of remains of four deceased captives. Hamas’s armed wing claimed Israel had failed to free the hostages by force and had surrendered, while saying it would uphold the agreement if Israel did.