President Trump on Monday completed a whirlwind trip to the Middle East to tout what he called an “historic dawn of a new Middle East” and formally sign a peace deal to end the fighting in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

The trip was something of a victory lap for Trump, who basked in applause from Israeli lawmakers at the Knesset and was repeatedly praised during proceedings in Egypt. It was also a cause for celebration for many families as Israeli hostages held by Hamas were released after two years of captivity.

Palestinians also rejoiced when Israel let out 250 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and 1,700 Gazans arrested after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

Here are five takeaways from Trump’s trip.

Trump confident 'war is over'

Even as Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza was in its early stages and many questions remain, the president expressed confidence from the time he departed for the Middle East that the agreement would hold.

Aboard Air Force One en route to Israel, Trump told reporters the “war is over.” Trump relayed the same message to reporters upon landing in Israel. And during remarks in Egypt, Trump declared, “War in Gaza is over.”

“This took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it?” Trump said as he signed the peace agreement at a ceremony in Egypt. “And it’s going to hold up, too. It’s going to hold up.”

But experts and even some Trump allies are less certain, pointing to various obstacles that remain to ensure a lasting peace in the region. The peace plan requires Hamas to decommission its weapons, and it’s unclear whether the militant group will do so.

“A word of caution,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) posted

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