Donald Trump has announced a new chapter for the Middle East as he signed a declaration to bring peace to Gaza alongside the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. Speaking at a summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, Trump declared that “a new and beautiful day is rising” and that the rebuilding of Gaza would now begin. The agreement marks the first phase of his peace plan, which includes the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 detainees in exchange for the final 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas, along with the return of 28 bodies. Addressing the Israeli parliament earlier, Trump told lawmakers that “the long and painful nightmare is finally over,” as cheers of “Trump, Trump, Trump” filled the chamber.
The Egyptian president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi called the signing “a historic milestone that ends an agonising chapter” and awarded Trump the Order of the Nile, Egypt’s highest honour. The summit drew more than twenty global leaders, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who joined for a group photo despite tensions from the previous week’s United Nations Assembly. While the ceasefire has taken effect, questions remain about the Palestinian Authority’s future role in Gaza. Trump confirmed that negotiations for the second phase of the peace plan were already underway, promising “the historic dawn of a new Middle East.” He compared this moment to the earlier Arab-Israeli peace deals brokered during his first term, describing the Gaza truce as “the most challenging breakthrough ever.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Trump as “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House,” crediting him for helping secure the release of the hostages taken during the Hamas attacks of 2023. In turn, Trump praised Netanyahu as a strong but determined leader, revealing that he urged him to end the fighting before it went “bad” and “heated.” Members of the Israeli parliament welcomed Trump and senior American officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, with applause. Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump also received loud cheers for their roles in brokering the truce. The audience’s red caps reading “Trump the Peace President” reflected the celebratory mood, as the Knesset speaker declared that there was “no one more deserving” of next year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
