Washington: US President Donald Trump staked his claim as a great global peacemaker, congratulated Israel for winning the war against Hamas and foreshadowed a possible deal with Iran in a loose and colourful speech to the Israeli parliament that also waded into the country’s fraught domestic politics.

As the last Israeli hostages held by Hamas were released, and Israel began freeing 2000 Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire brokered by Trump and his allies, the US president lavished praise upon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and predicted “the historic dawn of a new Middle East”.

Trump said Netanyahu showed courage by agreeing to end the war now, after two years, rather than pursuing the complete destruction of Hamas and Gaza in response to the October 7, 2023 attacks

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