Trump Lands in Egypt for Historic Gaza Peace Summit
- 17GEN4
- Oct 13
- 3 min read
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt — U.S. President Donald Trump touched down at the Tonino Lamborghini International Convention Center in this sun-drenched Red Sea resort on Monday, marking a pivotal moment in the quest to end the protracted war in Gaza. The arrival, under a phalanx of American and Egyptian flags fluttering against the azure backdrop, signals the kickoff of the International Gaza Peace Summit—a high-stakes gathering co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
The summit, convened in the shadow of the Sinai Peninsula's rugged peaks, draws leaders from more than 20 nations, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, and representatives from France and Spain. Notably absent are Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and any Hamas delegation, underscoring the delicate tightrope of diplomacy in a conflict that has claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives—mostly civilians—and ravaged the enclave since Hamas's October 7, 2023, assault on Israel, which killed 1,200 and saw 251 hostages taken.
Trump, fresh from a morning stopover in Israel where he hailed the nation's "resilience" and met with hostage families, stepped off Air Force One with characteristic swagger, flashing a thumbs-up to the assembled press corps. "We're here to make peace, real peace—the kind that lasts," he declared in brief remarks, flanked by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who played key roles in brokering the fragile truce that took effect last Friday.
According to a statement from el-Sisi's office, the summit's ambitious mandate is "to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability."
The confab aims to ink the second phase of Trump's peace blueprint, which builds on the initial ceasefire: a partial Israeli troop withdrawal, ramped-up humanitarian aid flows, and the release of seven living hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Yet, thornier hurdles loom large—full Israeli disengagement from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, and the thorny question of postwar governance, with Israeli officials rejecting any role for a reformed Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas, who is attending despite the snub from Jerusalem.As delegations converged on Sharm el-Sheikh—rechristened the "City of Peace" for its storied role in past accords, like the 2005 summit that quelled the second intifada—the air buzzed with cautious optimism. Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have already begun trickling northward through Gaza's rubble-strewn roads, by foot and makeshift cart, testing the ceasefire's mettle.
Banners lining the palm-fringed avenues proclaim an "agreement to end the war," while municipal workers hoisted flags from the U.S., UK, and EU nations near the convention center's gleaming facade, a nod to Italian automaker Tonino Lamborghini's lavish 2023 revamp of the site.
Critics, however, temper the fanfare. A Hamas spokesperson dismissed direct involvement, insisting the group operates via Qatari and Egyptian mediators, while hostage advocates decried the terror outfit's plan to release only four of 28 slain captives on Monday as a "blatant violation."
Palestinian Authority President Abbas, en route from Ramallah, faces his own domestic headwinds, with factions questioning his legitimacy in Gaza's reconstruction.El-Sisi, who has mediated tirelessly alongside Qatar and Turkey, greeted Trump with a firm handshake at the airport, their partnership a throwback to the 2019 Abraham Accords that Trump touts as his Middle East legacy. "This is not just about Gaza; it's about a stable region for generations," el-Sisi said, echoing the Egyptian readout.
As sessions unfold through the afternoon—focusing on aid corridors, reconstruction funding, and security guarantees—the world watches. For the families of the remaining 244 hostages and the millions in Gaza teetering on famine's edge, the stakes could not be higher. In a region scarred by cycles of violence, Sharm el-Sheikh's gilded halls offer a rare glimmer: the chance to turn ceasefires into something enduring.
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