Yesterday, surrounded by more than 30 world leaders, including the presidents of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, United States President Donald J. Trump today signed a historic document called “Trump’s declaration for lasting peace and prosperity” Next to him stood the leaders of the key mediators: Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The signing crowned months of tense negotiations and ended a two-year war in the Gaza Strip that claimed tens of thousands of lives and destroyed infrastructure. region. Trump called this event “a new dawn in the Middle East“, emphasizing that “peace is not a dream, but a reality“.
The ceremony took place during the Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, an Egyptian resort on the Red Sea. Before the signing, the leaders posed for a group photo in front of a banner reading “Peace 2025.” The document, just 462 words long, commits signatories to enforcing a ceasefire, demilitarizing Gaza and rebuilding the region. Trump, wearing a distinctive red tie, held a signed card in his hands, and Egyptian President el-Sisi honored him with the Order of the Nile – Egypt’s highest civilian award.
Background to the conflict
To understand the significance of this moment, you need to go back to October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing over 1,200 people and kidnapping 250 hostages. Israel responded with a massive offensive in Gaza, which, according to UN data from October 2025, killed over 43,000 Palestinians, including many civilians, and destroyed 80% of the Gaza Strip’s infrastructure. The war, which lasted two years, turned into a humanitarian disaster: hunger, lack of water and electricity affected 2.3 million inhabitants, and the border blockade prevented the delivery of aid.
In January 2025, the Joe Biden administration, in cooperation with Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, reached a temporary truce in which 50 Israeli hostages were released in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners. However, the agreement collapsed on March 18, 2025, when Israel resumed airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza. In this context, after Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, the United States took the initiative. Trump, drawing on his experience with the 2020 Abraham Accords, proposed an ambitious 20-point peace plan, unveiled on September 29, 2025.
Trump’s plan differed from previous initiatives in its greater assertiveness: it envisaged an immediate ceasefire, the release of all 48 remaining hostages (including the bodies of 28 dead), an exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life in prison and over 1,700 detainees from 2023. The key elements are the demilitarization of Gaza, a ban on Hamas’ participation in the future government, and the transfer of power to an apolitical a committee of Palestinian technocrats under the supervision of an international “Peace Team” led by Trump, and a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces in exchange for security guarantees. The plan also assumed an immediate inflow of humanitarian aid – at least at the level of the January 2025 agreement – including the reconstruction of hospitals, water networks and the removal of rubble.
Negotiations
The breakthrough came in September 2025. Trump gave Hamas 3-4 days to respond, threatening to withhold aid if the plan was rejected. On September 30, Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye called on Hamas for acceptance, emphasizing that the plan ends the war, although it requires clarification on the issue of Israeli withdrawal. On October 3, Hamas agreed to return the hostages and hand over power to technocrats, but avoided mentioning disarmament – a key demand of Israel.
On October 8, 2025, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had accepted the first phase of the plan: a cessation of fighting, an exchange of hostages and prisoners, and an influx of aid. The president thanked the mediators on the Truth Social platform: “This is a great day for the Arab world, the Muslim world, Israel and the USA“.
A few days later, on October 13, Hamas released all 20 living hostages and Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinians. This made it possible to sign the document in Sharm el-Sheikh. The negotiations, conducted in Egypt and Qatar, were supported by countries such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Secretary of State Marco Rubio played a key role, and Trump personally met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, praising him as “one of the greatest war leaders.” Netanyahu, although absent from the summit, approved the deal in the Knesset, declaring a “new dawn” for the region.
Key elements of the plan
Donald Trump’s plan is divided into phases. The first, already implemented, includes a truce and an exchange of prisoners. The second phase, launched immediately after the signing, focuses on reconstruction: the U.S. pledged $50 billion to a reconstruction fund, with the participation of Arab states and international donors. The UN has allocated an additional 11 million for winter aid. The demilitarization of Gaza will be overseen by an interim International Stabilization Force (ISF), with troops from Indonesia and Turkey, and supported by the US, France and the UK. In the long term, the plan conditions a Palestinian state on reforms of the Palestinian Authority and full demilitarization. Hamas, although amnesty for peaceful members is possible, will lose control over Gaza. Rafah will be open to aid, and interfaith dialogue will promote tolerance.
The world’s reactions and reactions to the future
The world welcomed the agreement with relief. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called them “a historical milestone“, although he warned of a “long road ahead.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz congratulated Trump, emphasizing the role of multilateralism. Hamas said it appreciated Trump’s efforts but demanded a full Israeli withdrawal. Critics, such as Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha, point to the lack of consultation with the Palestinians and fears of the return of Hamas. On social media, the event was dubbed “historical moment” – from enthusiastic posts from the White House to debates about the costs of reconstruction. Experts such as Sarah Yerkes of the Carnegie Endowment warn that peace is fragile without the implementation of a second phase.
Although the war in Gaza is over, challenges remain. Reconstruction estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars requires international financing – Trump emphasizes that “this is the easy part” after the negotiations. The key will be to implement the ISF and stop Hamas’ resurgence. The plan also opens the door to broader normalization, including with Iran, as Trump suggested in his speech to the Knesset. The signing in Sharm el-Sheikh is not the end, but the beginning. As el-Sisi said: “This is the end of an agonizing chapter.” If phases two and three – reconstruction and the path to a Palestinian state – are successful, the Middle East can enter an era of stability. The world looks with hope, but also with caution, to whether “new dawn“Trump’s will prove to be permanent.
