United States President Donald Trump and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye on Monday signed a declaration as guarantors for bringing peace to Gaza at a summit in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The signing came hours after Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners under the first phase of a ceasefire agreement.

“The document is going to spell out rules and regulations and lots of other things,” AFP quoted Trump as saying before the signing. “It’s going to hold up.”

As part of the first phase of Trump’s peace plan, the militant group Hamas released all living Israeli hostages, while Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

The first phase also includes a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

On Monday, Trump said a second phase of negotiations on a broader peace agreement was underway, the BBC reported.

This came two days after the Israeli government on Friday said that the ceasefire agreement had come into effect. Earlier in the day, Israel’s Cabinet had approved the ceasefire agreement proposed by Trump, clearing the way to suspend hostilities in Gaza and free Israeli hostages held there.

However, discussions still remain on further steps in Trump’s 20-point peace plan. These include the matter of disarmament, the governance of Gaza or whether Hamas will demilitarise.

Israel’s military offensive in Gaza began in October 2023 after Hamas killed 1,200 persons during its incursion into southern Israel and took hostages. Israel has been carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on besieged Gaza since then, leaving more than 67,000 persons dead.

In August, the United Nations formally declared a famine in northern Gaza. In September, a commission of inquiry set up by the UN said that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel called the report “distorted and false”, and demanded that the commission be immediately abolished.

Israel and Hamas had been holding ceasefire talks since July. Earlier efforts to reinstate a brief ceasefire that took effect in January had stalled due to disagreements between the two sides.

Trump’s proposal

The peace plan announced by Trump on September 29 entails Israeli forces partially withdrawing from Gaza to prepare for hostages to be released.

Members of Hamas who “commit to peaceful coexistence” and agree to lay down arms will be given amnesty. Hamas members who want to leave Gaza will be given safe passage to receiving countries, as per the proposal.

The White House said that Israel will not annex Gaza and no one will be forced to leave the region.

The proposal also envisions a “Board of Peace” comprising international overseers led by Trump himself. The board will include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, although the proposal has not yet specified his role.

Gaza will be governed by a temporary “technocratic, apolitical” committee comprising Palestinians and global experts and the “Board of Peace” will oversee the committee’s functioning.

The proposal will require Hamas to have no direct or indirect role in governing Gaza.

Also read: With its silence on Palestinian statehood, US proposal deceives rather than bringing peace

📰 Crime Today News is proudly sponsored by DRYFRUIT & CO – A Brand by eFabby Global LLC

Design & Developed by Yes Mom Hosting