US President Donald Trump went to the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on Monday. There, he met with many other international leaders to talk about rebuilding Gaza and its future after the conflict. Trump’s 20-point plan for the area was the main topic of the event. Trump and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey all signed a joint statement that laid out a comprehensive vision for Gaza’s future. The U.S. President called the signing a “new beginning” for the area. The gathering came after a truce accord that let the last 20 living prisoners go free and let aid flow into Gaza.
Important Statements and Highlights from the Summit
Leaders from the Middle East and Europe met at the conference to make the ceasefire arrangement official. This was the first step in ending the war that started on October 7, 2023.
President Trump called the US-brokered truce a “new beginning” for Gaza and said that it was now possible to change the region and repair relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors. He stated, “This is a great day for the world, it’s a great day for the Middle East,” and that the people there had “done what everyone said was impossible.”
Troop Withdrawal and Hostage Release: The summit happened on the same day as the last 20 living captives were freed as part of the truce. In return, Israel pulled back forces from parts of Gaza, agreed to let supplies into the area, and let out of about 1,700 Palestinian inmates who had been imprisoned without charges.
Attendees: The meeting had a lot of important world leaders there, like Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Mahmoud Abbas, the president of Palestine, was also there. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh represented India, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not go.
Netanyahu’s Absence: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was invited but didn’t come because he had a Jewish holiday that was in conflict with the event.
Vision for Governance: Trump hailed the meeting a “show of force” for his plan and said that “all the momentum now” is behind it. He publicly asked leaders to join a “board of peace” that he wants to establish up to run Gaza instead of Hamas, the terrorist group that is supposed to be in charge.
Honors and Diplomatic Exchanges
At the summit, there were a number of important diplomatic events and conversations, such as
Praise from Egypt: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that the peace pact “closes a painful chapter in human history” and sets the path for a two-state solution. Sisi warned Trump that “only you” can make the area peaceful. After the summit, Sisi gave Trump the Order of the Nile, Egypt’s highest accolade, which is a necklace made of pure gold.
Gesture to Iran: Even if there was a short military war between Tehran and Tel Aviv earlier this year that saw Washington striking three Iranian nuclear installations, President Trump also offered Iran a “hand of friendship and cooperation.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was the sole woman on stage among almost 30 other politicians. While standing behind Trump during the signing, the U.S. President dubbed her “beautiful,” while Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan remarked she looked “great” but told her to “stop smoking.”