Gaza meeting in Egypt and Trump's message about negotiations with Iran

The Gaza ceasefire meeting was held in Egypt yesterday, and Trump spoke at the meeting about issues related to the Gaza ceasefire, as well as negotiations with Iran.

On Monday, October 13, the international Gaza summit was held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where leaders from more than twenty countries gathered to discuss ways to end the two-year war in the Gaza Strip and rebuild it. The summit was held despite the fact that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas had been agreed upon in recent days, mediated by the United States, Egypt, and regional countries.

During the meeting, US President Donald Trump delivered an important speech, emphasizing his role and the joint efforts of the participating countries, describing the day as historic, saying: "Together, we did something that everyone said was impossible. We finally achieved peace in the Middle East."

The following are the key points of politics and diplomacy related to this summit, as well as the context, reactions, and challenges facing the implementation of the agreement.

In his remarks, Trump called the Gaza summit “a great and extraordinary day for the Middle East,” saying, “We have achieved peace in the Middle East.” He added to the leaders present: “Together we have done something that everyone said was impossible. We have finally achieved peace in the Middle East.” The remarks came after a statement was signed by countries identified as guarantors of the Gaza agreement.

The participants in the meeting signed a declaration that aims to end the two-year war in Gaza. However, the exact details of how the agreement would be implemented were not clearly spelled out in Trump's speech and the general statement of the meeting.
In addition, Trump met with Abdel Fattah al-Sisi before the summit. When asked about the possibility of reaching a deal with Iran, he replied: “No, not yet. But I believe that Iran will eventually come to that conclusion. They need help and the sanctions that have been imposed on them are very heavy.” He added: “They can’t continue 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 make a deal.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was initially invited to attend the summit, but ultimately declined. French sources reported that he was forced to withdraw due to opposition from some leaders present.
Netanyahu’s invitation was reportedly approved at the last minute, but Turkey opposed it by threatening to walk out of the meeting, and he ultimately withdrew due to “agenda conflicts.” With Israel and Hamas representatives absent, the meeting effectively provided limited opportunity for direct negotiations with the main parties to the conflict.

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi emphasized in his speech that the Palestinians have the right to live alongside the Israelis in an independent state. He considered the two-state solution the only path to realizing the aspirations of the 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 that it would host a conference on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, stressing the need to quickly begin reconstruction and provide vital services. Simultaneously with the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, a secret meeting was also held in Britain with the participation of senior officials from Middle Eastern countries and representatives of international financial institutions. The aim of the three-day conference was announced to be “the beginning of vital planning and coordination for the post-war period in Gaza.” The statement from the British Deputy Foreign Secretary said: “We must be ready to take action; to clear the rubble, rebuild homes, build infrastructure and restore access to education and health services.”

During the meeting, Trump met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, reportedly the first official meeting between the two in eight years. They chatted for a few moments, before Trump shook Abbas's hand and gave a thumbs-up in front of the media.