Trump, World Leaders Sign Gaza Peace Deal
President Donald Trump on Monday signed a historic Gaza ceasefire agreement alongside world leaders in Egypt, marking what he called “a tremendous day for the Middle East” and “the moment people have been praying for.”
The signing ceremony took place in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, where Trump joined Egypt’s President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to endorse what has been hailed as the most significant peace accord in decades.
The deal, reached after weeks of mediated negotiations, secured the release of all 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and the transfer of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees back to Gaza and the West Bank.
The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed its role in the exchange and the repatriation of the remains of four deceased hostages.
Trump described the agreement as “the day people have been working, striving, hoping and praying for,” adding that “the prayers of millions have finally been answered.”
“We have achieved peace in the Middle East,” he said, drawing loud applause from delegates and dignitaries.
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At the summit, President Sisi hailed the development as “a historic milestone that ends an agonising chapter and ushers in a new era of peace and stability in the region.”
He affirmed Egypt’s support for the accord and restated his country’s commitment to ensuring the safe return of all missing hostages and maintaining the ceasefire.
“Palestinians have the right to self-determination, freedom, and an independent state that lives side-by-side with Israel in peace and mutual recognition,” Sisi said.
The Egyptian leader also announced that Trump would receive the Order of the Nile, Egypt’s highest state honour, “for rendering great service to humankind.”
Accepting the award, Trump thanked Sisi and said, “It’s a beautiful title,” before calling Egypt’s role “fantastic and indispensable.”
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“This took 3,000 years to get to this point, can you believe it? And it’s going to hold up too. Everybody’s happy,” he told reporters.
“I’ve done big deals before, but this one has taken off like a rocket ship. There were predictions of World War Three starting in the Middle East, that’s not going to happen.”
The U.S. president also announced the creation of a “Board of Peace” to oversee the transitional administration of Gaza, saying he would like President Sisi to be part of it.
Trump explained that the board would supervise a temporary Palestinian technocratic government and coordinate reconstruction efforts in Gaza.
Trump later met privately with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, in what observers described as a symbolic step toward broader Arab participation in the post-war roadmap.
The U.S. delegation, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, called the day “one of the most important for world peace in half a century.”
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The summit also drew participation from European leaders including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is being considered for a role on the proposed peace board.
The signing capped a day of jubilation across Israel and the Palestinian territories. In the capital Tel Aviv, there were emotional scenes as freed hostages were reunited with their families, while in Gaza’s Khan Younis and the West Bank, crowds cheered the return of Palestinian detainees.
