In a statement on his official social media accounts on Thursday, El-Sisi announced that “from Sharm El-Sheikh, the city of peace and the cradle of dialogue and understanding, an agreement is reached to establish a ceasefire and end the war in Gaza after two years of suffering and woes.”
El-Sisi indicated that the Gaza ceasefire agreement comes in accordance with “the peace plan proposed by President Trump and under the auspices of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States of America.”
The president emphasized that the agreement “does not only close the chapter of war; it also opens the door of hope for the peoples of the region for a future defined by justice and stability.”
He also stated that the accord “does not only close the chapter of war; it also opens the door of hope for the peoples of the region for a future defined by justice and stability.”
A few hours earlier, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a Gaza deal involving the exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners “soon” and for Israeli forces to withdraw to “an agreed line,” calling it the first step toward a “strong, durable, and everlasting peace.”
Trump described it early Thursday as a “great day for the Arab and Muslim world, for Israel, for the United States, and for all neighboring nations.”
Shortly before his announcement, Trump told the press at the White House that “we’re very close. We have a real chance at peace,” and that he may travel to Egypt as soon as Sunday and did not rule out a possible visit to Gaza.
President El-Sisi on Wednesday invited Trump to visit Egypt should the Sharm El-Sheikh negotiations on Gaza succeed.
Top officials from Egypt, the United States, Qatar and Turkey have been mediating indirect talks between Israel and Hamas since Monday to reach an agreement to end the war.
Meanwhile, though Israeli media reported on Thursday afternoon that the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel has started at 12:00 p.m. local time of the same day, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement saying it will take effect "only after receiving cabinet approval."
The statement said the announced 72-hour countdown for the swap of captives and prisoners will begin only after the agreement is approved at the cabinet meeting, which is expected “in the evening hours” of Thursday.
The announcement of the deal came amid diplomatic efforts intensified in recent days to reach a comprehensive deal to end the Israeli genocidal war and starvation policies against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's war on Gaza has killed over 67,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 168,000 others, mostly women and children, since 7 October 2023.
Two years of Israeli carpet bombing destroyed most homes and infrastructure and displaced most of the 2.3 million population.
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