In a landmark diplomatic achievement, US President Donald Trump joined leaders from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye on Monday to sign the Gaza Peace Agreement, marking the official start of a ceasefire aimed at bringing stability to the war-torn region.

At the signing ceremony, held during the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, President Trump called it “a historic day for the entire world” and hailed the agreement as “a great success.” He said the document “spells out a lot of rules and regulations” and is “very comprehensive,” outlining principles for peace, reconstruction, and regional cooperation.

Trump: 'Gaza deal was a difficult deal'

Describing the Gaza peace deal as one of the most challenging negotiations of his presidency, President Trump said, “We’re going to be signing a document that’s going to spell out a lot of rules and regulations and lots of other things. It’s very comprehensive.”

He acknowledged that the deal required perseverance and strong leadership, adding with humour, “I like the tough people better than the soft, easy ones. That’s a personality problem, I suspect.”

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Trump suggested that the agreement would be backed by significant financial support, noting, “Most of them — I can tell you — these guys have so much money. There’s more money and power sitting behind us. I love that they’re behind us.”

Leaders, nations attend Gaza peace summit

The Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh drew leaders and representatives from over 20 countries, including Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, France, Britain, Italy, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, and Kuwait.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who hosted the summit, played a central role in mediating the ceasefire. “Egypt’s role in the peace agreement is commendable,” Trump said, praising Al-Sisi as “a wonderful figure” and calling his efforts “crucial to this success.”

Trump also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, and several other world leaders, including the British prime minister, Canadian prime minister, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

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During his interactions, Trump highlighted the broad international participation, saying, “The leaders of many countries are present — all are valuable.”

Egypt, Hamas praised for constructive roles

President Trump acknowledged the role of Egypt in brokering the truce and noted that Hamas also played a positive part in the negotiations. “Egypt played a very important role in the peace agreement,” he said. “Even Hamas has played a good role in making this happen.”

He expressed gratitude to all nations involved, adding, “I am grateful to all countries for making the peace agreement a success.”

Iran, reconstruction, future of Middle East

Touching upon regional issues, Trump said that Iran now wants to engage in dialogue and hinted at future negotiations. “We understand that Iran wants to make an agreement. They need help, and they will negotiate with us,” he said.

He also stressed the need for rebuilding Gaza, saying, “There is a lot of debris in Gaza, and it needs to be cleaned up.” He linked the peace progress to previous US military actions, noting, “If we had not bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities, there would have been no Gaza deal.”

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Trump expressed optimism for the future, declaring, “We will see a lot of progress in the Middle East. This is just the beginning — the second phase of negotiations on Gaza has already begun.”

Warm meetings with global leaders

During the summit, Trump held a cordial meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, where both leaders discussed regional peace and bilateral cooperation. “The two leaders shook hands warmly and discussed various issues,” officials said.

Trump also met the Prime Ministers of Spain and Italy, Iraq’s Prime Minister, and other dignitaries. “It is a very historic moment — this has never happened before,” Trump told the media, expressing confidence that the Gaza agreement would transform the region.

Egyptian president hails Trump’s role

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised Trump’s leadership, calling the Gaza deal “a remarkable achievement.” He said, “We appreciate the role that President Trump has played. He has the ability to achieve peace in the region.”

Al-Sisi reiterated Egypt’s commitment to ensuring the ceasefire’s permanence, saying, “We want to make the ceasefire permanent,” to which Trump responded, “I would like Al-Sisi to join the Gaza Peace Board.”