Trump plans trip to Israel, Egypt before Charlie Kirk Medal ceremony

President Donald Trump said Friday he plans to visit Israel and Egypt before quickly returning to Washington, D.C., to honor the late Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he would address Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, and then travel to Cairo as part of a trip marking the historic peace deal he secured between Israel and Hamas. He is expected to return to the White House to honor Kirk on Tuesday, October 14 – which would have been the conservative activist’s 32nd birthday.

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“It’s not easy for me to get back. It’s a very quick trip, but I’ll make two major layovers and then I’ll get on the plane to try to get back in time for Charlie,” Trump said Friday. “They’re going to have a big party at the White House, in the East Room of the White House.”

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday. (Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The president will arrive in Israel early Monday, where he is expected to deliver a speech to the Knesset and meet recently released hostages, an Israeli official said. The time of Israel. Under the terms of the peace agreement, Hamas must hand over the 48 living and deceased hostages within 72 hours of Friday evening local time.

“They’re recovering them, and they’re also recovering the bodies, about 28 bodies. … It’s a tragedy,” Trump said. “…I will go to Israel. I will speak to the Knesset, I think very early on, and then I will also go to Egypt.”

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Egypt will host an international summit in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to finalize the peace deal. More than 20 world leaders, including Trump, are expected, an Egyptian presidential spokesperson said on Saturday, according to Reuters.

“I’ll go to Cairo, I think that’s where we’re going, not the place of the signing,” Trump told reporters. “Many leaders from around the world are coming as well. I know they have been invited.”

Argentine President Javier Milei, Speaker of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) Amir Ohana and Israeli President Isaac Herzog attend a session of the Israeli parliament at the Knesset headquarters in Jerusalem in June. (Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump is expected to return to Washington by Tuesday for the White House ceremony honoring Kirk, who was assassinated Sept. 10 during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University.

“And then I come back, I believe it’s Tuesday night for Charlie Kirk, a friend of mine, a friend of all of us, a friend of a lot of people here,” Trump said.

The president called the event a “great celebration,” noting that Erika Kirk, the activist’s widow, and many others will be in attendance.

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“We are awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest honor one can receive outside of the Congressional Medal of Honor: military, civilian,” he said. “But it’s the greatest honor, and Erika, his lovely wife, will be there and a lot of people will be there.”

Charlie Kirk was murdered on September 10 during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)

Trump first announced last month that he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.

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“I will soon award Charlie Kirk, posthumously, the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump said at the time. “The day of the ceremony will be announced, and I can only guarantee you one thing. That we will have a very large crowd. Very, very large.”

On Thursday, Hamas agreed to a peace deal pushed by Trump to end the war in Gaza and return hostages, two years after the terrorist network attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.