A handout picture released by the Egyptian Presidency on October 9, 2025, shows Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) meeting with the US president's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (3L), son-in-law Jared Kushner (2L), and US Ambassador to Egypt Herro Mustafa Garg in Cairo. AFP
El-Sisi held a meeting at Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo with President Trump's envoys, US Special Envoy for the Middle East Stephen Witkoff and Senior Adviser to the US President Jared Kushner.
General Intelligence Chief Major General Hassan Rashad and US Ambassador to Egypt Herro Mustafa attended the meeting.
According to the Egyptian Presidency, El-Sisi welcomed the Gaza ceasefire agreement and lauded President Trump's tireless efforts to end the war. He expressed hope that the deal would be signed soon.
The US envoys thanked El-Sisi and the Egyptian agencies involved for their pivotal role in facilitating the agreement. They also underscored the strength and strategic nature of Egyptian-American relations.
They conveyed President Trump's appreciation for El-Sisi's leadership in resolving the crisis and for his broader role in promoting regional stability.
In return, the Egyptian president affirmed Egypt's commitment to working closely with the United States to implement the ceasefire plan based on President Trump's proposal. He emphasised that the US has always been Egypt's partner in achieving peace in the Middle East, primarily through its sponsorship of the Middle East peace process initiated by Egypt since the 1970s.
Moreover, El-Sisi praised the contributions of the American, Qatari, and Turkish mediators in supporting Egypt's efforts during the Sharm El-Sheikh talks. He reiterated that the whole world is looking forward to ending the war and achieving peace in Gaza.
Egypt, he added, will continue working with the US and other mediators to ensure full implementation of the agreement, including the ceasefire, the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid, and the release of captives and detainees.
Similarly, the Egyptian president reaffirmed Egypt's support for President Trump's peace efforts and stated that he anticipates welcoming Trump to Cairo to witness the signing of what he described as a historic agreement in a ceremony befitting the occasion.
Earlier on Thursday, 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 the withdrawal of Israeli forces to "an agreed line." Trump described the agreement as the first step toward a "strong, durable, and everlasting peace."
The announced agreement marks the culmination of intensified diplomatic efforts in recent days to bring an end to Israel's genocidal war and starvation campaign against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Since 7 October 2023, Israel's war on Gaza has left over 67,000 Palestinians dead and nearly 168,000 others wounded, mostly women and children.
Two years of Israeli carpet bombing destroyed most of Gaza's homes and infrastructure and displaced most of its 2.3 million population.
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