SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt: US President Donald Trump hailed a “tremendous day for the Middle East” on Monday (Oct 13) as he and regional leaders signed a declaration to cement a ceasefire in Gaza, hours after Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners.
Trump made a lightning visit to Israel, where he addressed parliament and praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, before flying to Egypt for a summit in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
There, he joined the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey to sign the declaration as guarantors of the Gaza deal.
“This is a tremendous day for the world, it’s a tremendous day for the Middle East,” Trump said as more than two dozen world leaders gathered at the summit. “At long last, we have peace in the Middle East.”
LEADERS PLEDGE LASTING PEACE
The declaration pledged to “pursue a comprehensive vision of peace, security and shared prosperity in the region,” and welcomed “the progress achieved in establishing comprehensive and durable peace arrangements in the Gaza Strip.”
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said the Gaza agreement “closes a painful chapter in human history” and opens the way to a two-state solution.
Under Trump’s ceasefire plan, Hamas freed the last 20 surviving hostages it had held for two years in Gaza, while Israel released 1,968 mostly Palestinian prisoners, according to Israel’s prison service.
“For so many families across this land, it has been years since you’ve known a single day of true peace,” Trump said earlier during his Knesset address. “Not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and for many others, the long and painful nightmare is finally over.”
JOY AND RELIEF ON BOTH SIDES
In Tel Aviv, thousands gathered in “Hostage Square” erupted in tears and song as news spread of the first hostages’ return. In Ramallah, huge crowds celebrated the release of Palestinian prisoners, chanting “Allahu akbar” as buses arrived.
In southern Gaza’s Khan Yunis, residents climbed Red Cross buses carrying freed prisoners to greet loved ones with hugs and kisses.
“Welcome home,” Israel’s foreign ministry posted on X, as videos shared by the military captured tearful reunions between families and freed hostages.
Under the ceasefire, Hamas is also due to return the bodies of 27 hostages who died in captivity, along with the remains of a soldier killed during the 2014 Gaza war.
The Israeli military confirmed that four bodies were handed to the Red Cross and brought to Israel on Monday.
‘NEW BIRTH’ AFTER YEARS OF WAR
The Oct 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251 taken hostage, the deadliest single day for Jews since the Holocaust.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has since killed at least 67,869 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, a figure the United Nations considers credible.
“The greatest joy is seeing my whole family gathered to welcome me,” said 25-year-old released prisoner Yusef Afana in Khan Yunis. “I spent 10 months in prison — some of the hardest days I’ve ever lived.”
In Ramallah, former detainee Mahdi Ramadan described his release as “a new birth.”
REMAINING CHALLENGES
Despite the celebrations, key disputes remain unresolved, including Hamas’s refusal to disarm and Israel’s lack of a full withdrawal commitment from Gaza.
Trump, however, expressed optimism that the ceasefire would hold, saying talks on next steps had “already started.”
He briefly met Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas during the summit, which neither Israeli nor Hamas representatives attended, before departing in the evening.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem urged mediators “to ensure Israel does not resume its aggression against our people.”
Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, announced in late September, was instrumental in securing the ceasefire and is now guiding discussions on Gaza’s reconstruction and governance.
