President Donald Trump asserted the war in Gaza was over as he departed the United States for a high-stakes visit to Israel and Egypt to mark a U.S.-brokered ceasefire and the imminent release of Israeli hostages.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as the flight from Washington D.C. began, the President was emphatic about the conclusion of the conflict and the region’s prospects for peace.

“The war is over, you understand that,” President Trump stated, adding that he believed the Middle East was going to “normalize.”

The President’s comments came as Israel awaited the release of all remaining living hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, a central component of the ceasefire agreement. Israeli military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, had stated that all living hostages were expected to be released on Monday, saying: “In a few hours, we will all be reunited.”

Trump expressed confidence that the fragile ceasefire, which took effect days earlier, would endure. On the outlook for the deal, he said: “I think it is going to hold. There are a lot of reasons why it’s going to hold. But I think people are tired of it. It’s been centuries I think people are tired of it.”

The President characterized his trip as historic and momentous, noting the widespread relief across the region. “This is going to be a very special time,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. “Everybody’s very excited about this moment in time.” He added: “There are 500,000 people yesterday and today in Israel and also the Muslim and Arab countries all cheering. Everybody’s cheering at one time. That’s never happened before.”

Following his arrival in Israel to address parliament and meet with hostage families, the President is scheduled to co-host a major peace summit in Egypt with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to solidify the peace framework and discuss the post-war governance of the Gaza Strip, which Trump described as a “demolition site.”