Washington: US President Donald Trump declared peace in the Middle East has been achieved as he signed a manifesto with regional leaders on a whirlwind visit that has spurred hope that a reset from decades of conflict could be within reach.

But cracks in the ceasefire and “peace deal” began to appear as Hamas returned the remains of only four dead hostages on day one, leading an Israeli minister to accuse the terrorist group of violating its commitments, and Hamas militants reportedly killed more than 30 people in a spree targeting enemy groups.

As the final 20 living hostages reunited with their families in Israel, and Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, attention has also shifted to the next steps for Gaza, with many questions remaining over Trump’s 20-point peace plan, including who will govern the war-torn territory and oversee its recovery from the brutal war.

In Egypt, Trump headlined a hastily convened summit of world leaders, including Qatar, Turkey and the host, Egypt, who all signed a document committing to the “Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity” in the Middle East.

The 462-word text, later released by the White House, said the leaders acknowledged the Middle East’s cycle of violence could not continue that future disputes must be resolved through diplomacy and negotiation.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not attend the summit, citing a Jewish holiday, despite earlier reports that he would. Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, which exercises partial control over the occupied West Bank, attended and shook hands with Trump.

The US president referred to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as “the granddaddy of them all”, suggesting 3000 years of fighting in the Middle East was at an end.

“This is the day that people across the region and around the world have been working, striving, hoping and praying for,” Trump said.