Ceasefire Agreement Signed at Middle East Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh
During a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, co-chaired by Presidents Abdel Fatah El-Sisi and Donald Trump, a ceasefire was signed on Monday to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip, reports 24brussels.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meeting, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was absent, citing a religious festivity. Leaders of the pro-Palestine group Hamas stated they were negotiating through Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
Saudi Arabia was represented by a delegation led by Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan. Other notable leaders included King Abdullah II of Jordan, Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Türkiye, Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Ministers Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom, Pedro Sánchez of Spain, Giorgia Meloni of Italy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and President of the European Council Antonio Costa, as well as Government Chiefs from Iraq and Pakistan and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The summit aimed to end the hostilities in the Gaza Strip, bolster peace efforts, and enhance regional security. This gathering followed a ceasefire that came into effect after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. However, the implementation of the ceasefire has been marred by complications. Reports indicate that while Hamas has returned some bodies of deceased individuals, it has not fulfilled its commitment to return all 28. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement, warning that any delays would be treated as a serious breach.
The Association of Families of Hostages previously echoed these sentiments, stating, “We expect the Israeli government and the mediators to take immediate action to remedy this grave injustice.” On Monday, Hamas released the final 20 Israeli hostages who were still alive, a move that some see as an effort to restore goodwill amidst ongoing tensions.
In a reciprocal action, Israel reportedly released 1,968 Palestinian prisoners. Following his visit to Tel Aviv earlier on Monday and participation in a Knesset session, Netanyahu expressed gratitude to Trump for his contributions toward achieving peace.
