‘The war is over’: Donald Trump heads for Middle East to mark Gaza ceasefire; calls it ‘very special time’

US President Donald Trump on Sunday departed for a visit to Israel and Egypt, calling the trip a “very special” moment as he hailed a ceasefire and hostage release deal that he said had brought the Gaza war to an end.“This is going to be a very special time,” Trump told reporters before boarding air force one at joint base Andrews. “Everybody’s very excited about this moment in time.”Air force one took off near Washington amid light rain, with secretary of state Marco Rubio, defense secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA chief John Ratcliffe accompanying the president, according to the White House.Asked whether he was confident the conflict between Israel and Hamas was over, Trump replied, “The war is over. Okay? You understand that?”Speaking about the significance of his trip, Trump said, “This is a very special event… Everybody’s cheering at one time. That’s never happened before. Usually, if you have one cheering, the other isn’t… This is the first time everybody is amazed and they’re thrilled, and it’s an honour to be involved. We’re going to have an amazing time, and it’s going to be something that’s never happened before.”The US president is expected to attend a joint ceremony in Israel and Egypt celebrating the ceasefire deal and the release of hostages, as part of what he described as a “historic” moment for peace efforts in the Middle East.He will also chair the Gaza peace summit along with Egyptian PM Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.