The Israeli Foreign Ministry said on its Arabic-language account on the X platform: "President Trump's plane flew over the country from north to south before landing in a gesture of honor." It added that Israeli citizens painted a picture of Trump and a thank-you note alongside the Israeli flag on a Tel Aviv beach.
During an official ceremony, Trump welcomed Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump.
The private Israeli Channel 12 reported that Trump's plane flew over Tel Aviv, particularly over the city's Prisoners' Square.
Trump's arrival came shortly after Hamas released seven Israeli prisoners and before releasing 13 additional ones, as part of Trump's plan to end the war on Gaza.
Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech at the Knesset (parliament) and meet with Netanyahu and the families of Israeli prisoners in the Knesset building before departing for Egypt in the afternoon.
In Egypt, Trump will co-chair the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad, and leaders and officials from around the world.
The summit aims to "end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and open a new chapter in regional security and stability," according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
These developments come after the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel went into effect on Friday afternoon, after being approved by the Tel Aviv government at dawn the same day.
On October 9, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement on the first phase of his ceasefire and prisoner exchange plan, following indirect negotiations between the two sides in Sharm el-Sheikh, with the participation of Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar, and under US supervision.
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 8, 2023, leaving 67,806 martyrs and 170,066 wounded, most of them children and women, and causing a famine that claimed the lives of 463 Palestinians, including 157 children.
