U.S. President Donald Trump was welcomed Monday at the Israeli parliament by its speaker, Amir Ohana, who said, “Welcome to Jerusalem. Welcome to the Knesset. We’ve been longing for this day.”

He was greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu.

“It’s a great honor,” Trump said. He then sat at a desk to sign the guestbook with a marker.

The president spent several seconds scribbling, then held up what he wrote. It read: “This is my great honor. A great and beautiful day. A new beginning.”

Trump was in Israel to celebrate the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, an agreement that he declared had effectively ended the war and opened the door to building a durable peace in the Middle East.

As he disembarked from Air Force One, a convoy of vehicles carried into Israel the first hostages released by Hamas as part of the deal.

The moment remains fragile, with Israel and Hamas still in the early stages of implementing the first phase of the plan intended to end the conflict that began on Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led militants.