U.S. President Donald Trump will land in Israel on Monday for a whirlwind visit lasting less than four hours, coinciding with or immediately following the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
The brief but high-security trip will cause widespread disruptions between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m., particularly on the main roads to Ben Gurion International Airport. Authorities have declared “Trump alert” at the airport, while Israel Railways will increase service throughout the morning to accommodate passengers advised to travel by train rather than car.
Traffic closures and heightened security
Roughly 4,000 police officers will be deployed for the visit. Due to security arrangements, Highway 1 between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv will be closed in both directions, likely beginning around 7 a.m. and lasting until the president’s departure. Route 443 will remain open as an alternative.
Trump is expected to land at 9:20 a.m. and travel along Highway 1 in his famous armored limousine, dubbed “The Beast,” which was flown in from the United States along with his motorcade.
The Airports Authority said it has completed wide-ranging security and logistical coordination for the presidential landing and the American delegation’s movements. Travelers heading abroad are advised to arrive at Ben Gurion Airport by train and plan to be at the terminal at least four hours before departure.
Israel Railways will operate four trains per hour in each direction between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m., doubling the usual service. Routes between Herzliya–Tel Aviv–Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon and Tel Aviv–Modi’in will also be reinforced to two trains per hour each way.
Due to expected congestion and roadblocks, passengers traveling to or from Jerusalem are urged to complete their trips today if possible.
Terminal closures and flight adjustments
All international flights originally scheduled to depart from Terminal 1 between 8 a.m. and the end of the day will be redirected to Terminal 3. Flights to and from Ramon Airport will face significant changes and possible cancellations. Airport shuttle and taxi services will be unavailable between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. because of road closures.
“The Airports Authority is working to minimize disruptions to flight schedules and passenger service,” the authority said in a statement. “However, delays and complications are expected. The public’s patience and understanding are requested on this historic day.”
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Israeli flags placed along the roads where hostages will return
(Photo: Netivei Israel)
Meanwhile, Israel’s national roads company has placed Israeli flags along the routes where returning hostages will be transported from Gaza.
A record-short presidential visit
Trump’s visit, on the eve of Simchat Torah, is expected to last three hours and 40 minutes, making it one of the shortest in diplomatic history.
According to the tentative schedule, Air Force One will land at Ben Gurion Airport at 9:20 a.m. A brief arrival ceremony will be held with no speeches or anthems, only a red carpet, flag bearers and an honor salute. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, the U.S. and Israeli ambassadors and their spouses will greet the president. No Cabinet ministers or senior Israeli officials beyond the hosts will attend.
From the airport, Trump will travel directly to the Knesset in Jerusalem, where he is expected to arrive at 10:10 a.m. He will sign the guest book, meet privately with Netanyahu and Herzog and later join both leaders in a meeting with families of the released hostages in the Israeli parliament's famous Chagall Hall.
Plans for Trump to meet the released hostages themselves were scrapped due to medical and psychological considerations.
At 11 a.m., Trump will deliver a speech before the Knesset plenum. He will then return to Ben Gurion Airport without stopping at the King David Hotel, where two floors had been reserved for him. According to the White House schedule, Trump is not expected to visit the Western Wall during this trip.
He will depart Israel at 1 p.m. for Egypt, where he will attend a historic summit hosted by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi with Arab and European leaders to discuss Gaza’s postwar future. Israel was not invited to the event, during which a symbolic agreement ending the war is expected to be signed.
First published: 15:42, 10.12.25