President Donald Trump arrived in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday for a summit with several other world leaders aimed at ensuring the US-led ceasefire deal for Gaza turns into a real peace deal.

The leader flew in from Israel, where he addressed the country's parliament and was praised for last week's agreement that resulted in a weekend ceasefire in Gaza and the release of 20 surviving hostages held in the Palestinian territory. They were freed on Monday, as were nearly 2,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

"They played a very important role, and they had a very important role with Hamas," Trump said of Egypt during a meeting with the country's president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. "Hamas respects this country, and they respect the leadership of Egypt."

The US president said he saw the "second phase" of his peace plan had begun and that Gaza "needs a lot of cleaning up." Trump was on a short trip from Washington. He arrived in Israel around 9:30 a.m. local time on Monday and will depart for the US capital after several hours in Egypt.

Waiting for him at a conference center on the Red Sea are other leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

They will begin discussions on the future of Gaza, including thorny issues such as persuading Hamas to disarm and ensuring the militant group agrees not to interfere in governing the territory, which it has controlled since 2007. They are also likely to discuss the countries sending peacekeeping troops to Gaza and how to rebuild the territory after two years of devastating war.

In Jerusalem, Trump said he was confident the ceasefire would work and urged both Israeli and Palestinian governments to seize this moment as an opportunity for lasting peace.

"Israel, with our help, has won everything it could by force of arms," he told the Knesset. "You have won. I mean, you have won. Now it's time to translate this victory against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East."

"The full focus of the people of Gaza," he continued, "must be on restoring the foundations of stability, security, dignity, and economic development, so they can finally have the better life their children deserve after decades of horror. I intend to be a partner in this effort."

There was considerable skepticism that the ceasefire would hold. Almost immediately after Trump finished his speech—much of which was met with thunderous applause from Israeli lawmakers—the country's defense minister, Israel Katz, said Hamas had failed to fulfill its commitment to release the bodies of all the hostages killed on Monday.

"Any delay or deliberate evasion will be considered a grave violation of the agreement and will be met accordingly," Katz said. As of last week's agreement, 48 hostages—all but one male—were still held in Gaza, with 20 of them still alive.

Jubilation swept across Israel as 20 prisoners were freed, as did Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank as the prisoners were released. Israel has withdrawn troops from its most populous enclave, Gaza, and agreed to allow more aid into the Mediterranean territory, home to some 2.2 million people.

Nearly all have been displaced since the war began, and the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says more than 67,000 people have been killed. The Israeli military says nearly 470 of its soldiers have been killed in fighting in Gaza. Hamas triggered the war with an attack on Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023, that killed 1,200 people and abducted 250 others. (alg)

Source: Bloomberg