Trump says he plans to fly to region on Sunday, aims to be in Israel for hostage release

US President Donald Trump says he plans to leave for the Middle East on Sunday and hopes to be in Israel when the hostages are released on Monday or Tuesday.

“The hostages will be coming back Monday or Tuesday,” he says while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office alongside Finland’s president. “I’ll probably be there. I hope to be there. We’re planning on leaving sometime Sunday and I look forward to it. I see you’re celebrating in Israel, but they’re celebrating in many other countries too.”

Trump dodges a question on whether he thinks Israel will normalize its relations with Saudi Arabia in the next year.

Asked about his chances for winning a Nobel Peace Prize tomorrow, when the laureate is announced, Trump touts the eight agreements that he brokered to solve conflicts across the globe since returning to office, with today’s ceasefire deal in Gaza being the “biggest.”

Israel’s cabinet is currently meeting to discuss the deal and is expected to approve it.

Asked for more details on the International Stabilization Force that subsequent, yet-to-be-approved phases of the ceasefire deal envision in Gaza, Trump says it still needs “to be determined.”

“There are going to be a large group of people determining what it will be,” he says, adding that “wealthy countries” will fund the force.