Egypt, a traditional mediator in the conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians, is once again taking a leading role in the effort for peace in the Middle East. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced that it is preparing an international Summit on Gaza, in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, immediately after the implementation of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The summit will have historic significance, as it will mark the transition from the war to a phase of reconstruction and political management of the region.

The meeting will be co-chaired by US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and is expected to be attended by dozens of heads of state and foreign ministers from Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The aim is to institutionally ratify the US-brokered peace deal and launch an internationally funded reconstruction plan for Gaza.

Trump returns to the Middle East as a peacemaker

Donald Trump, who has returned to the presidency of the United States, plans to travel to the Middle East in the coming days. According to the White House program, he will first stop in Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, address the Knesset and meet with families of hostages held by Hamas.

Trump will then travel to Sharm el-Sheikh for the signing ceremony of the peace agreement, which has already been described as the most significant American success in the Middle East in recent decades. Egyptian authorities confirm that preparations for his reception are in full swing and that he will co-sign the agreement along with the other guarantors of the process.

The ceasefire agreement and the negotiations behind the scenes

The Gaza ceasefire agreement was announced on Thursday, October 9, after marathon negotiations held in Sharm el-Sheikh itself. Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with the help of mediators from Qatar and Egypt, managed to impose the first phase of a ceasefire that provides for the release of hostages and prisoners, as well as the gradual end of military operations.

The US peace plan foresees that Israel will maintain a military presence along the Gaza border, while an international security force – made up mainly of Arab and Muslim countries – will manage security inside the Palestinian territory. At the same time, the US will lead an extensive reconstruction program, financed by international donors and development agencies.

International participation in the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit

The summit on Monday, October 13, is expected to bring together a wide range of leaders. Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey and Indonesia have already confirmed their participation.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz personally thanked the Egyptian president for his mediation, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are expected to attend the signing ceremony. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to confirm his participation, while it remains unclear whether a Hamas representative will attend.

France and the United Kingdom are expected to be represented at a high level, likely by their foreign ministers, while international organizations such as the UN and the European Union will also participate.

The critical points of the American plan

Trump's peace plan aims to create a new political balance in Gaza. It envisions the enclave's administration gradually passing to a Palestinian interim authority, with the support of Arab states and the supervision of an international force. Hamas, although it accepted the ceasefire, has objected to any foreign administration or disarmament of its forces.

A senior Hamas official said Hamas would only hand over its weapons to an independent Palestinian state and was ready to integrate into a future Palestinian army. Despite these objections, American and Egyptian officials appear optimistic that the agreement will be respected.

The return of the displaced and the destruction in Gaza

Thousands of Palestinians have begun returning to northern Gaza after two years of war left behind a vast amount of rubble. According to international organizations, 75% of buildings in Gaza City have been severely damaged or completely destroyed.

At the same time, the United Nations has received the green light from Israel to immediately begin humanitarian aid. More than 170,000 tons of supplies have already been gathered in warehouses in Jordan and Egypt, and are expected to be channeled to Gaza in the coming days.

Doctors Without Borders has called for the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid and immediate permission to transport patients in need of surgical care. The international community insists that peace must be accompanied by massive relief for the civilian population.

American soldiers and multinational surveillance

Already, about 200 American soldiers have arrived in Israel to help oversee the ceasefire. They will not enter Gaza, but will act as a liaison between the Israel Defense Forces and the rest of the international forces that will be deployed in the area.

The joint control center being set up in Egypt will include officials from Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, is already in Israel to oversee the process.

This international force will then undertake the training of the new Palestinian police and the supervision of Hamas's disarmament, while Egypt's role is considered crucial due to its geographical proximity and its experience as a neutral mediator.

The moment of signing and the political message

The signing ceremony of the peace deal in Sharm el-Sheikh is expected to take place on Monday morning or, if there are technical delays, on Tuesday. Donald Trump and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will co-chair the summit, aimed at bolstering international support for the plan and officially starting the reconstruction work in Gaza.

Sources in Washington say the US president will stress that the world cannot afford another war in the Middle East and that peace can only be achieved with security, development and self-determination for the Palestinians. His speech will attempt to solidify the US image as a guarantor of stability in the region.

The political legacy of an agreement

The Gaza ceasefire could prove to be the most critical test of Donald Trump's diplomacy. If he can sustain it, it will have put the United States back at the center of the Middle East balance and offered the region a real prospect of peace after decades of war.

For Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the success of the summit means strengthening Egypt's international prestige as a bridge between the Arab world and the West. And for the people of Gaza, it could be the first step towards a life free from bombing, blockade and fear.

Although the challenges are enormous – from disarming Hamas to creating a viable Palestinian institutional framework – history is being rewritten in Sharm el-Sheikh. The hope for peace in Gaza, after two years of bloodshed, is returning to the international community’s agenda.

In a Middle East that has learned to live with violence, the Egypt summit will be the first, hesitant, but necessary step toward silencing the guns — and perhaps, toward a new beginning.