U.S. President Donald Trump has arrived in Egypt after a brief stop in Israel, joining world leaders for a peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh where the Gaza ceasefire deal was formally signed on Friday.
Flanked by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump signed the ceasefire agreement that he called “historic,” marking what he described as “the day that people around the region and across the world have been working, striving, hoping and praying for.”
Signing Ceremony: “This Took 3,000 Years to Get to This Point”
The ceremony began with Trump addressing the gathered leaders and international press, praising the countries that helped broker the ceasefire.
“We’re doing a signing then we’re doing a speech,” Trump said as he outlined the agenda, before adding that he and the other leaders would later “stay behind to talk without the media watching.”
As aides placed a green folder before him, Trump asked, “Can we get the documents please?” and then signed the Gaza ceasefire agreement, saying, “This took 3,000 years to get to this point, can you believe it? And it’s going to hold up too.”
The document was then passed between Trump, El-Sisi, Sheikh Tamim, and Erdogan, who each added their signatures. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other regional representatives were also present, but Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not attend nor did any representatives from Hamas.
“Everybody’s happy,” Trump said, smiling to the crowd. “I’ve done big deals before, but this has taken off like a rocket ship.”
Trump added that while there had once been predictions that “World War Three would start in the Middle East,” he now believed “that’s not going to happen.”
El-Sisi Hails “A Historic Milestone”
Following the signing, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi delivered a speech to the summit, calling the day “a historic milestone that ends an agonising chapter” and “a new era of peace and stability” for the region.
“Palestinians have the right to self-determination and to aspire for a future where war doesn’t loom over them,” El-Sisi said. “They have the right to enjoy freedom and live in their independent state, a state that lives side by side with Israel in peace, security and mutual recognition.”
El-Sisi expressed gratitude to Trump and to the leaders of Qatar and Turkiye for their roles in reaching the agreement, describing it as a foundation for “creating the political horizon for the implementation of the two-state solution.”
The Egyptian president announced that Trump would be awarded the Collar of the Nile (also known as the Order of the Nile), “the highest state honour” in Egypt, given “to heads of state or to those who render great services to humankind.”
As El-Sisi invited Trump to the stage, the U.S. president entered to applause and joined the other leaders at the front of the hall.
Trump: “A New and Beautiful Day is Rising”
Taking the podium after El-Sisi, Trump hailed the ceasefire as a turning point for the Middle East.
“Nobody thought this could happen,” declared Trump.
He added, “After years of suffering and bloodshed, the war in Gaza is over. Humanitarian aid is now pouring in, including hundreds of truckloads of food, medical equipment and other supplies, much of it paid by people in this room. Civilians are returning to their homes, the hostages are reuniting [with their families]. A new and beautiful day is rising and now the rebuilding begins.”
Trump expressed “tremendous gratitude to the Arab and Muslim nations who helped make this incredible breakthrough possible,” singling out Egypt and Qatar as key mediators.
He thanked El-Sisi for being a friend of the U.S. and a “great general” and for awarding him the Collar of the Nile, calling it “a great honour,” and gave “special thanks” to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, saying “he’s got a tremendous heart.”
The U.S. president also praised Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying he is “as tough as can be, but we love him,” describing their relationship as “a good one.”
Trump further thanked Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for their support throughout the peace process despite the two not being in attendance.
Abbas in Attendance
Among the leaders shaking hands with Trump ahead of the signing was Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who last met Trump at the White House in 2017.
Abbas’s attendance marks a shift following recent tensions, after the U.S. revoked visas for Palestinian officials to attend the UN General Assembly last month. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had accused the Palestinian Authority of “undermining peace efforts.”
Trump’s plan leaves open the possibility of a role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza after internal reforms, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected its involvement.
The Sharm El-Sheikh Gaza peace summit, attended by dozens of regional and international leaders, marks the culmination of months of negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. More than 65,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed by Israel which has been accused of genocide by international bodies. It remains to be seen whether Israeli officials will be held accountable for their actions.
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