Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
In what Israeli media are calling “the shortest visit in history,” former U.S. President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Israel on Monday for a tightly scheduled, high-security visit lasting no more than four hours. The visit, reported by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, will coincide with the much-anticipated release of hostages held in Gaza, a key component of the Egypt-brokered ceasefire agreement.
According to the itinerary, Air Force One is scheduled to land at Ben Gurion International Airport at 9:20 a.m. local time. Trump will be welcomed on the tarmac by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Okabe.
While the hostage release is expected to take place simultaneously, Trump will not meet the returning hostages. Israeli officials have cited medical protocols requiring immediate examination of the hostages by health professionals upon arrival, precluding any direct interaction with the U.S. president.
As a security precaution, Israel has implemented sweeping changes to civilian air traffic. Departures and arrivals at Ben Gurion have been rerouted to alternative airports during the visit, and roads around the airport will be closed. The “limousine” shuttle service from the airport has been suspended from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday. These measures reflect the scale of logistical coordination required for the brief but high-profile visit.
Trump’s schedule includes a 10:00 a.m. visit to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, where he will meet Netanyahu and Herzog in the prime minister’s office. He will also meet with representatives of the families of Israeli hostages in the Shagal Hall, followed by a formal address to the Knesset at 11:00 a.m.
Plans for a brief rest at the King David Hotel, where two full floors had reportedly been reserved have been cancelled, as has a previously scheduled visit to the Western Wall. Instead, Trump will head directly back to Ben Gurion Airport by 12:00 noon to fly to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, where he will co-chair the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
The summit aims to formally ratify the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, marking a critical turning point in efforts to end the Gaza war.
Meanwhile, preparations for the hostage handover are being finalized. Israeli General Gali Harish, who oversees the file on missing persons and hostages, has informed families to prepare for their loved ones’ return early Monday morning.
Prime Minister Netanyahu visited the Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva on Friday to inspect readiness for receiving the hostages, including the provision of psychological and medical support.
The remains of deceased hostages are to be transported and identified by the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv. According to officials, the institute is prepared to receive 28 bodies. Identification will be carried out using CT scans, DNA analysis, and dental records.
Trump’s brief but symbolic stop in Israel, on the same day as the hostage release and the peace summit in Egypt, underscores the high-stakes diplomatic choreography surrounding this moment in Middle Eastern politics.
