Trump praises regional leaders’ efforts in Gaza peace plan
(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump, alongside the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, signed a landmark declaration aimed at bringing peace to Gaza during a summit in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
"A new and beautiful day is rising and now the rebuilding begins," Trump said, praising the regional leaders who helped finalize the truce between Israel and Hamas.
Earlier, speaking to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, he told lawmakers that "the long and painful nightmare is finally over," earning cheers from the audience.
As part of the first phase of Trump’s peace plan, Israel is set to release 250 Palestinian prisoners along with over 1,700 others detained during the two-year military operations in Gaza. In return, Hamas freed the last 20 living Israeli hostages and will return the bodies of 28 others.
At the summit in Egypt, Trump appeared upbeat alongside Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and more than 20 world leaders. "Everybody's happy," he said, adding, "I’ve done big deals before, but this has taken off like a rocket ship." He also remarked, "This took 3,000 years to get to this point, can you believe it? And it’s going to hold up too."
Following the ceremony, President al-Sisi awarded Trump the Order of the Nile, Egypt’s highest honor made of pure gold, calling the day a "historic milestone that ends an agonising chapter."
The summit also included Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who had been blocked by the US from attending the UN General Assembly in New York just days earlier.
Questions remain about the PA’s eventual role in Gaza as negotiations continue into the second phase of the peace plan.
In his Knesset address, Trump described the moment as "the historic dawn of a new Middle East," echoing language he used when Israel previously signed deals with Arab states during his first presidency. "At last, not only for Israelis but also Palestinians, the long and painful nightmare is finally over," he said, as lawmakers chanted "Trump, Trump, Trump."
Reflecting on the complexity of the negotiations, Trump called the Gaza ceasefire "the most challenging breakthrough of them all, the most challenging breakthrough maybe ever." He also indicated that ending the Russia-Ukraine war would be his next focus.
Trump shared details of his recent discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, recounting that he warned the Israeli leader the military campaign in Gaza was becoming "bad" and "heated." "I said, 'Bibi you're going to be remembered for this far more than if you kept this thing going, going, going, kill, kill, kill,'" he recalled.
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