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US President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “be nicer now” as he addressed lawmakers in the Knesset on Monday, shortly after the United States brokered a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas. The remark, delivered in Trump’s trademark humour, came as he hailed the agreement as one that “effectively ends the war and opens the door to durable peace” in West Asia. The US President described the truce as “a turning point” in the region’s turbulent history.

“You can be nicer now, Bibi-you’re not at war,” Trump said, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by his childhood nickname. “This agreement effectively ends the war and opens the door to durable peace across the Middle East,” he added, while praising both Netanyahu’s leadership and his own role in brokering the deal.

Trump praised Netanyahu for his “strength and leadership” while also taking credit for the ceasefire. “Peace is no longer just a hope... it is a reality. Israel, with US help, has won,” he declared, adding that “the world now stands at the dawn of a new Middle East.”

Addressing the Israeli Parliament, Trump urged both nations to look beyond the battlefield. “Israel has nothing more to prove through war. The time has come to rebuild Gaza,” he said, calling on Palestinians to “turn forever from the path of terror and violence.”

The two leaders have held regular communication throughout the first nine months of Netanyahu’s second term, often discussing the conflicts with Hamas and Iran. Trump recalled his earlier exchange during the Iran standoff, saying, “Get me Bibi,” as he pushed for calm after tensions rose in June.

Earlier in the day, Hamas released 20 hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel-seven were freed to Red Cross representatives first, followed by 13 others. In return, Israel released several Palestinian detainees from prisons in the West Bank, in accordance with the truce conditions