SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt — President Donald Trump on Monday joined world leaders from nearly 30 countries for a signing ceremony marking the official implementation of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, calling it the beginning of a “lasting period of peace” in the Middle East.
The accord, which took effect over the weekend, led to the release of the remaining 20 Israeli hostages held in Gaza after more than two years in captivity. In exchange, Israel freed more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, including hundreds serving life sentences.
Trump hailed the deal as “a new and beautiful day rising in the Middle East,” describing it as a milestone that would be followed by a major international effort to rebuild the war-torn Gaza Strip. He said multiple Arab states had pledged funding for reconstruction.
“Rebuilding Gaza will be the easiest part,” Trump said, referencing his real estate background. “We’ve done the hardest part already. Now we know how to build, and we’ll build better than anyone in the world.”
The signing ceremony, hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the Red Sea resort city, brought together leaders from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and the Gulf states. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas officials were notably absent, with Netanyahu citing a religious observance.
Trump called the agreement a “momentous breakthrough” and thanked mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey for their roles. The deal, he said, would “transform a region long defined by conflict into one defined by cooperation.”
Under the first phase of the plan, Israel agreed to a full ceasefire, partial troop withdrawal, and the return of all hostages. In return, Hamas militants who lay down arms will receive amnesty or relocation to third countries. A technocratic Palestinian administration, backed by international oversight, will temporarily govern Gaza.
A “Board of Peace,” chaired by Trump and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, will oversee reconstruction and aid distribution. The U.S. and partner nations will also deploy observers, including 200 American troops, to monitor compliance.
Speaking later at Israel’s Knesset, Trump said, “The war is over. The hostages are home. Now it’s time to build peace — real, lasting peace — for generations to come.”
Israeli lawmakers greeted him with standing ovations, with Netanyahu calling Trump “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.”
Still, challenges remain. Gaza remains devastated, with much of its infrastructure destroyed and famine spreading in some areas. Key questions over Gaza’s postwar governance and Hamas’s disarmament are yet to be resolved.
“This moment is fragile,” one Western diplomat said. “But it’s the closest the region has come to peace in decades.”
