Gaza Meeting in Egypt and Trump’s Message on Negotiations with Iran

The Gaza ceasefire meeting was held in Egypt yesterday, and Trump discussed not only matters related to the Gaza ceasefire but also negotiations with Iran at this meeting.

On Monday, October 13 (Mehr 21), an international Gaza meeting was held in the city of “Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt,” where leaders of more than twenty countries gathered to discuss solutions for ending the two-year war in the Gaza Strip and its reconstruction. This session took place as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas had been agreed upon in recent days through the mediation of the United States, Egypt, and regional countries.

During this meeting, Donald Trump, President of the United States, delivered an important speech in which, emphasizing his role and the joint efforts of participating countries, he described this day as historic, saying: “Together, we accomplished something that everyone said was impossible. Finally, we achieved peace in the Middle East.”

The following sections present the key points of policy and diplomacy related to this session, as well as the context, reactions, and challenges facing the implementation of the agreement.

In his remarks, Trump described the Gaza meeting as “a great and extraordinary day for the Middle East” and said: “We have achieved peace in the Middle East.” Addressing the present leaders, he added: “Together, we accomplished something that everyone said was impossible. Finally, we achieved peace in the Middle East.” These statements were made after a statement was signed by countries designated as guarantors of the Gaza agreement.

Participants in this meeting signed a statement aimed at ending the two-year war in Gaza. However, in the text of Trump’s remarks and the general statement of the meeting, the precise details of how the agreement would be implemented were not clearly outlined.
Additionally, before the meeting began, Trump met with “Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.” When asked whether there was a possibility of reaching an agreement with Iran, he replied: “No, not yet. But I believe Iran will ultimately reach that result. They need help and the sanctions imposed against them are very heavy.” He added: “They cannot continue in this situation with such severe sanctions. At some point they will say they want these sanctions lifted. I think ultimately things will go well and Iran will want to reach an agreement.”

Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, was initially invited to participate in this session, but ultimately refrained from attending. French sources reported that he was forced to withdraw due to opposition from some present leaders.
According to reports, Netanyahu’s invitation plan was approved at the last moment, but Turkey threatened to withdraw from the meeting in protest, and ultimately he withdrew citing a “scheduling conflict.” With the absence of Israel and Hamas representatives, the session provided only limited opportunity for advancing direct negotiations with the main parties to the war.

Abdel Fattah El-Sisi emphasized in his remarks that Palestinians have the right to live alongside Israelis in an independent state. He considered the two-state solution as the only path to achieving the aspirations of Palestinians and Israelis, saying: “The Gaza agreement marks the beginning of a new era of peace and stability for the Middle East.”

Egypt also announced it would host a conference for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and emphasized the necessity of starting reconstruction quickly and providing vital services. Also, simultaneously with the Sharm El-Sheikh session, a confidential meeting was held in Britain with the participation of high-ranking officials from Middle Eastern countries and representatives of international financial institutions. The objective of this three-day conference was announced as “beginning vital planning and coordination for the post-war period in Gaza.” In a statement by the British Deputy Foreign Minister, it was stated: “We must be prepared to act; to clear rubble, rebuild homes, create infrastructure, and restore access to education and healthcare services.”

During this meeting, Trump had a meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, which was reported to be their first official meeting in the past eight years. They conversed for a few moments, and then Trump shook Mahmoud Abbas’s hand and gave a thumbs-up gesture in front of the media.