In an historic moment at Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, US President Donald Trump signed a declaration with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey to bring long-term peace to Gaza.
“A new and beautiful day is rising, and now the rebuilding begins,” Trump said, thanking regional leaders for facilitating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Trump described the event as “the end of a long and painful nightmare,” after two years of devastating conflict.
A Major Prisoner Exchange and Hostage Release
As part of the first phase of the agreement, Israel will release 250 Palestinian inmates and 1,700 others seized during military operations in Gaza. In exchange, Hamas will release the remaining 20 Israeli prisoners and return the remains of 28 deceased inmates.
The exchange marks a big step closer to Trump’s 20-point peace proposal, which has been under consideration since his re-election last year. The plan’s next phase will address Gaza’s long-term governance and rebuilding.
Global Leaders Applaud Trump’s Role
Trump, joined by Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and more than 20 world leaders, grins as he describes the historic agreement as “a rocket ship” for peace. “Everybody’s happy,” he announced. “I’ve done big deals before, but this one took 3,000 years to get here and it’s going to hold up too.”
President al-Sisi described the day as “a historic milestone that closes an agonizing chapter.” Egypt’s highest national award, the Order of the Nile, was awarded to Trump in acknowledgment of his involvement.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was among those in attendance, representing a remarkable gesture of peace following months of hostility between the United States and Palestine.
‘The Historic Dawn of a New Middle East’
During his last speech to Israel’s Knesset, Trump was met with standing ovations and chants of “Trump, Trump, Trump.” The president referred to the ceasefire as “the most challenging breakthrough of them all,” and hinted that peace between Israelis and Palestinians was now within grasp.
Introducing Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described him as “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.” Netanyahu commended Trump for his “unwavering assistance” in achieving the captives’ release.
In his speech, Trump recounted intimate talks with Netanyahu, asking him to put an end to the fighting: “I said, ‘Bibi, you’ll be remembered for peace, not for kill, kill, kill.'”
Next Steps: Administering Peace and Rebuilding Gaza
The cease-fire, which went into force Friday morning, is the first stage in Trump’s bigger peace plan. The US president stated that he will personally supervise a new “board of peace” to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction.
Trump intimated that his next global emphasis could be ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, repositioning himself as the world’s most active dealmaker.
As the Sharm el-Sheikh conference concluded, Trump exited the stage to great ovation, with red “Trump the Peace President” caps waving in the audience.
For many, the moment represented not just the end of a war, but the beginning of what Trump called “the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
