During a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, co-chaired by Presidents Abdel Fatah El-Sisi and Donald Trump, a ceasefire was signed on Monday to end the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, reports 24brussels.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was present at the event, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abstained, citing a religious festival. Meanwhile, leaders from the pro-Palestinian group Hamas stated they were communicating through mediators from Qatar and Egypt.
The summit drew representatives from more than 30 nations, including Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Council President Antonio Costa, as well as government chiefs from Iraq and Pakistan, alongside UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The primary objective of the gathering was to negotiate an end to the war in Gaza, enhance peace efforts, and establish regional stability. This summit was convened in response to a ceasefire initiated after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Reports indicate complications with the agreement, as Hamas has only returned the bodies of some of the deceased—four in total—drawing accusations of ceasefire violations from Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz. Katz asserted that the return of only four bodies fails to meet the obligation to hand over all 28, warning that any delay would be regarded as a significant breach of the agreement.
In a related development, Israel reportedly released 1,968 Palestinian prisoners. Netanyahu expressed appreciation for Trump’s commitment to peace following the latter’s visit to Tel Aviv earlier that day and his participation in a Knesset session.
The Association of Families of Hostages echoed these sentiments, urging immediate action by both the Israeli government and international mediators to address what they described as a severe injustice. Earlier on Monday, Hamas released the remaining 20 Israeli hostages still alive.
As tensions remain high in the region, the careful execution of the ceasefire agreement and cooperation among participating nations and organizations will be critical to achieving long-term peace in the Middle East.
