US President Donald Trump arrived from Israel to the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh. Here, Trump and Egyptian President Abduh – Fattah al – Sisi will chair a summit with more than 20 world leaders on ending the war in Gaza.
The summit is attended by the leaders of Germany, Britain, France, Turkey, a number of European, Arab and Islamic countries. Russia has not been invited.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received an invitation but declined it, citing the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah. Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas is expected to attend the summit.
World leaders will discuss the next steps in the peace plan previously proposed by Trump. Earlier, Israel and Hamas (recognised as a terrorist group in the US and the EU), with the mediation of the US, Qatar and Turkey, agreed on a ceasefire, the release of hostages held by Hamas for more than two years, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from a number of positions in Gaza.
Hamas released all 20 living Israeli hostages on 13 October.
Trump’s plan envisages that Hamas will be disarmed (the group has already said this will not happen), that Gaza will be governed by an interim transitional Palestinian government made up of apolitical technocrats – backed by an international stabilisation force set up under US auspices in cooperation with Arab and international ones. If Hamas refuses to implement the Agreement, it will still be embodied in the “terror-free territories” handed over to the stabilisation force by the Israeli army.
Despite the lack of final agreements, the US president, speaking to the Israeli Knesset on Monday, expressed confidence that the war would not resume. “This is not just the end of war. This is the beginning of a Great Accord and lasting harmony for Israel and all the peoples of what will soon be a truly remarkable region. The long and painful horror is finally over,” Trump said.
The current war began two years ago after Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October. Israel responded by launching a massive campaign to not only free the hostages but also destroy Hamas. Israel’s actions have faced increasing criticism from many countries around the world, who point to the high number of civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The US supports Israel while seeking an early ceasefire and peace in the region.