Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt: US President Donald Trump on Monday hailed what he described as a “tremendous day for the Middle East” as he and regional leaders signed a declaration aimed at cementing a ceasefire in Gaza — just hours after Israel and Hamas completed a major hostage and prisoner exchange.
Trump made a whirlwind visit to Israel, where he addressed the Knesset and praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before flying to Egypt for the Gaza Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. There, he joined leaders from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey to sign the declaration as guarantors of the truce.
“This is a tremendous day for the world, a tremendous day for the Middle East,” Trump said as more than two dozen global leaders gathered at the resort. “The document will spell out rules, regulations, and many other things — and it’s going to hold up,” he added.
As part of the ceasefire arrangement, Hamas freed the remaining 20 hostages it had held in Gaza for two years, while Israel released 1,968 prisoners, most of them Palestinians, according to the Israeli Prison Service.
“From October 7 until this week, Israel has been a nation at war — enduring burdens that only a proud and faithful people could withstand,” Trump told Israeli lawmakers, who gave him a standing ovation. “For so many families, it has been years since they’ve known a single day of peace,” he added, expressing hope that the “long and painful nightmare” was now over for both Israelis and Palestinians.
In Tel Aviv, emotional scenes unfolded as crowds gathered in Hostages Square to celebrate the release of captives. “I’m torn between emotion and sadness for those who won’t be coming back,” said Noga, a relative of one of the freed hostages.
Across the occupied West Bank and Gaza, thousands welcomed home released prisoners, with chants of “Allahu Akbar” echoing through Ramallah and Khan Yunis. “It’s an indescribable feeling — a new birth,” said Mahdi Ramadan, one of the freed detainees.
Under the truce, Hamas is also set to return the bodies of 27 hostages who died in captivity, along with the remains of an Israeli soldier killed in 2014. Israel has so far received the bodies of two captives and expects more in the coming days.
Of the prisoners freed by Israel, around 250 were security detainees — including individuals convicted of attacks — while about 1,700 had been detained in Gaza during the war.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters launched a surprise assault on Israel, killing over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza has since killed at least 67,869 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, figures the United Nations has deemed credible. More than half of the dead are believed to be women and children.
Trump’s visit marked an effort to highlight his role in brokering the ceasefire. However, several unresolved issues remain, including Hamas’s refusal to disarm and Israel’s reluctance to commit to a full withdrawal from Gaza.
Speaking alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Trump said talks on the next phase of the plan were underway. “It’s started — as far as we’re concerned, phase two has begun,” he said, adding that “the phases are all a little mixed in with each other.”
Trump credited Sisi for playing a “very instrumental” role in mediating talks with Hamas. The Egyptian leader, in turn, described Trump as “the only one capable of bringing peace to our region.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also briefly met Trump at the summit, which was not attended by representatives of Israel or Hamas.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem urged the US and other guarantors of the Gaza deal to “continue monitoring Israel’s conduct to ensure it does not resume its aggression against our people.”