US President Donald Trump delivers a speech during the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh. AFP
“The war in Gaza is over,” Trump said. “Humanitarian aid is now pouring in, including hundreds of truckloads of food, medical equipment, and other supplies, much of it paid for by people in this room. Civilians are returning to their homes. The hostages are reuniting. I mean, it's beautiful,” the US President said in closing remarks at the summit he co-chaired with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.
Minutes earlier, at the historic Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort city, US President Trump joined President El-Sisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in signing the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza, based on his 20-point plan.
The signing was witnessed by leaders and representatives of Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Turkey, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, France, Cyprus, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Greece, Armenia, Hungary, Pakistan, Canada, Norway, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Japan, the Netherlands, Paraguay, and India, as well as the UN Secretary-General, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, the President of the European Council, the President of FIFA.
“This took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it? And it's going to hold up too. It's going to hold up,” he said after signing the deal.
“I thought this was probably going to be the toughest, and maybe in many ways it was, but we had a lot of big talent. We had an amazing array of talent, and we were helped by, in particular, the countries represented at this table.”
Trump added: “A new and beautiful day is rising, and now the rebuilding begins. The rebuilding is maybe going to be the easiest part. I think we've done a lot of the hardest part, because the rest comes together. We all know how to rebuild, and we know how to build better than anybody in the world.”
He also thanked regional partners for their support. “I want to express my tremendous gratitude to the Arab and Muslim nation.”
Speaking before the signing, Trump said: “As you can see, this is probably the greatest assemblage of countries in terms of wealth and power maybe ever assembled, and it’s just an honour to be a part of it.”
President El-Sisi used his address to appeal directly to the Israeli public.
“As I seize this opportunity, I address a call to the people of Israel, saying: Let us make this historic moment a new beginning for a life governed by justice and peaceful coexistence. Let us look forward to a better future for our children together,” he said.
He called on Trump to help ensure lasting peace in the region. “Mr President, let the Gaza war be the last war in the Middle East.”
El-Sisi also praised Trump’s leadership. “Making peace requires exceptional figures capable of taking and implementing courageous initiatives similar to President Trump.”
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