Earlier, the world saw emotional scenes of Israeli hostages reuniting with their families and Palestinian prisoners returning home.
People gather at Hostages Square underneath a clock counting the days the hostages have been in captivity on October 12, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel This week’s ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has brought an end to the two years of war that followed the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. A condition of the deal is the return of 48 hostages held in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump attended a peace summit in Egypt on Oct. 13 to sign an agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza, marking a major milestone in regional peace efforts and signaling what he called a new era in the Middle East.
Trump was flanked by the leaders of countries that played the key mediating role in the initial phase of the peace deal.
“After years of suffering and bloodshed, the war in Gaza is over,” Trump said during the summit.
Nearly 35 world leaders joined Trump in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, including the heads of state of the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Jordan, and Qatar, as well as U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
During the signing of the agreement, Trump announced that the second phase of the deal between Israel and Hamas had begun.
His 20-point plan to end the war, released on Sept. 29, calls for the demilitarization of Hamas and the temporary governance of Gaza by a “Board of Peace,” measures that are expected to be implemented during this next phase of the peace plan.
As co-chair of the summit, Trump personally greeted and welcomed leaders from all 35 attending countries.
Earlier in the day, the world watched emotional scenes of Israeli hostages reuniting with their families and Palestinian prisoners returning home—moments of joy and relief unfolding across Israel and Gaza.
Before heading to Egypt, Trump made Israel his first stop in the Middle East, where he delivered a historic address before the Israeli parliament, the Knesset.
As Trump landed in Tel Aviv, celebrations were underway with the release and return of the 20 remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza. At the same time, more than 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 detainees from Gaza were freed under the terms of the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists crossed the border into Israel and killed some 1,200 people, before taking 251 people hostage and transporting them back into Gaza, where they were held captive.
After arriving in Sharm El-Sheikh, Trump first joined a bilateral meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi. He lauded Sisi for his crucial role in facilitating the cease-fire deal that brought Hamas to the negotiating table.
“Hamas respects this country, and they respect the leadership of Egypt,” Trump said.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas also attended the summit, while no Hamas representatives were present at the gathering in Sharm El-Sheikh.
Trump’s Knesset Speech
Trump received a rousing welcome in the Israeli parliament. During his remarks at the Knesset, Trump reflected on the suffering endured on both sides and called the moment “the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
“This will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change and change very much for the better,” Trump said. “Like the U.S.A. right now, it will be the golden age of Israel and the golden age of the Middle East.”
He also listened to speeches by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the opposition leader Yair Lapid before taking the podium.
Trump became the fourth U.S. president to address the Knesset, following Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.
During his visit to Israel, Trump also met with Israeli hostages and their families.
In his speech, Trump declared that “the long and painful nightmare is finally over,” saying that as the region recovers, a brighter future is now within reach.
In his address to the Knesset, Netanyahu described Trump as “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House” and called the day “momentous.”
“Under your leadership, we can forge new peace treaties with Arab countries in the region and Muslim countries beyond the region,” Netanyahu said.
Trump also expressed hope that the Abraham Accords will be expanded to include more countries.
Trump also offered an olive branch to Iran.
“We are ready when you are, and it will be the best decision that Iran has ever made,” Trump said regarding a deal with Iran.
The Egyptian government initially announced that Netanyahu would join Monday’s summit in Sharm el-Sheikh alongside Trump and other world leaders. However, Netanyahu’s office later clarified that he would not attend.
During his speech, Trump praised special envoy Steve Witkoff for his tireless efforts to broker a peace deal, likening him to Henry Kissinger, a highly influential American diplomat who served under presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
“I wondered if I would ever see this day. It’s deeply gratifying to know that so many families will finally have their loved ones home,” Witkoff wrote on X before the release of hostages.
The office of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said Egypt will award Trump the country’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the Nile, for his achievements in stopping the war between Israel and Hamas.
Sisi’s office said the award—a pure gold collar containing symbols from Egypt’s Pharaonic era—will recognize Trump’s “distinguished contributions to supporting peace efforts, defusing conflicts, and most recently, his pivotal role in ending the war in Gaza.”
“I’m deeply honored to receive from you Egypt’s highest state honor,” Trump said during his speech.
The second phase of the peace deal calls for the reconstruction of Gaza. Trump said numerous countries had expressed willingness to assist in rebuilding the region.
In February, the World Bank estimated the cost of rebuilding the Gaza Strip and restoring economic activity to be $53 billion.
Chris Summers is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of national stories, with a particular interest in crime, policing and the law.
Emel Akan is a senior White House correspondent for The Epoch Times, where she covers the policies of the Trump administration. Previously, she reported on the Biden administration and the first term of President Trump. Before her journalism career, she worked in investment banking at JPMorgan. She holds an MBA from Georgetown University.