President Donald Trump is on his way to the Middle East for a whirlwind visit to Israel and Egypt, as a ceasefire the United States helped broker continues to hold between Israel and Hamas ahead of the planned release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

Trump is scheduled to arrive in Tel Aviv on Monday to address the Knesset, Israel's parliament, before traveling to Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt for what the White House describes as a "Middle East Peace Ceremony."

Fighting paused in Gaza for a third day on Sunday in advance of the expected release of 20 Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of Trump’s 20-point peace proposal intended to end the more than two-year-long Israel-Hamas war.

"This is going to be a very special time," Trump told reporters in a drizzle at Joint Base Andrews, where his flight aboard Air Force One was departing. "Everybody is very excited about this moment in time."

Trump called the trip a "special event" because Muslims and Arabs were joining in the celebration of the ceasefire, along with Israel.

"Everybody is cheering at one time. That’s never happened before," Trump said. "This is the first time. Everybody is amazed and they’re thrilled."

The United States, along with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, mediated the agreement between Israel and Hamas, following Trump's Sept. 29 unveiling of a peace proposal alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Negotiators for Israel and Hamas later agreed to the deal last week, with Trump announcing it on social media.

Trump tells reporters: 'I'm good at making peace'

Asked by reporters about how the agreement between Israel and Hamas fit into his legacy, Trump mentioned several international conflicts he claimed credit for resolving.

"I’m good at solving wars," Trump said. "I’m good at making peace. I’m saving lives."

Trump had campaigned to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. But the prize was awarded on Friday to Maria Corina Machado, an opposition leader in Venezuela.

Trump said that "in fairness to the Nobel committee," the award was for activities in 2024.

"I did this not for Nobel," Trump said. "I did this for saving lives."

Trump credits Turkey, Qatar for deal

When asked about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that collapsed in March, Trump told reporters that the current agreement involving Arab and Muslim countries couldn’t have happened back then.

"Sometimes you have to go through some pain before it all happens," Trump said.

He credited Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Indonesia each with being key to obtaining the current settlement.

"We had tremendous help. This is an amazing thing," Trump said. "They all came together. They’re all dancing in the streets, just like Israel. It’s a unique point in time."

"That wouldn’t have happened back then," Trump added.

Trump on negotiating ceasefire deal: 'I think I'm not heaven-bound'

Trump told Fox News in August that ending the war between Russia and Ukraine could get him into heaven.

He told reporters Sunday he was "being a little cute" but that he doesn’t expect to get into heaven after negotiating the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

"I don’t think there’s anything gonna get me into heaven. I think I’m not heaven-bound," Trump said. "I’m not sure I’ll be able to make heaven. But I’ve made life better for a lot of people."

Trump says Ukraine would 'like to have Tomahawks'

Trump told reporters that he had a good conversation Sunday morning with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who asked for additional weapons, and said he might eventually provide Tomahawk missiles.

Trump said he would first call Russian President Vladimir Putin to warn him that if the war didn’t end, he might provide the cruise missiles to NATO, which would pass them along to Ukraine. Trump called Tomahawks an escalation of weaponry in the three-year-old war.

"They need patriots very badly," Trump said. "They’d like to have Tomahawks. That’s a step up."

Trump said he would talk to Putin first, because Tomahawks represent "a new step of aggression."

"I might have to speak to Russia, to be honest with you, about Tomahawks," Trump said. "Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I don’t think so."

"I might say, 'Look, if this war is not going to get settled, I might send them Tomahawks," Trump added. "I may say that. We may not, but we may do it."

How did the Israel-Hamas war start?

The ceasefire and expected release come more than two years after the conflict began. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

Israel responded with a massive military offensive in Gaza, which has leveled large swaths of the enclave, displaced thousands, and killed more than 67,000 people. Most of those were civilians, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Who are the remaining Israeli hostages?

There are 20 Israeli hostages expected to be released on Oct. 13. Half of the hostages were captured while either attending or working a music festival in Reim, in southern Israel, during the Oct. 7 attack.

Several others who were taken but have since been released were also among the festival-goers, while hundreds of others were killed. Those expected to return to Israel include two pairs of brothers, dual Israeli citizens, and two Israeli soldiers.

The remains of another 28 hostages are also included in the deal reached by both Israel and Hamas, though the timeline is unclear as to when their bodies will be returned.

Israel's hostages coordinator Gal Hirsch told Reuters a task force would be formed to help find the remains of any dead hostages that Hamas could not locate.

Palestinian prisoner release: What we know

Israel is to release 1,700 Palestinians who have been detained in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, and 22 Palestinian minors, Reuters reports, along with the bodies of 360 militants.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that once the hostages were returned, the military would destroy underground tunnels in Gaza built by Hamas. Palestinians returning to northern Gaza have described widespread devastation.

Rescue workers warned there could be unexploded ordnance and bombs in the area.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Trump heads to Israel ahead of hostage, prisoner release: Live updates

Reporting by Kathryn Palmer and Bart Jansen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect