| Sharm el-Sheikh – Israel would not take part of Peace Summit for the formal signing of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire deal which is set to take place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on Monday, AFP reported quoting spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This comes a day after Hamas refuted to attend the same, calling parts of Donald Trump’s truce proposal “absurd”. Egypt will host an international peace summit in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday. Leaders from more than 20 countries are invited to participate in the summit, co-chaired by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, according to the Egyptian presidency. The initial phase of the ceasefire agreement includes freeing the last 48 hostages held by Hamas, with around 20 reportedly still alive; releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli custody; delivering a significant increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza; and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from the main cities in Gaza. The gathering, aimed at ending the war in Gaza and promoting regional security, will include leaders from more than 20 countries. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II are all confirmed to attend. The European Council will also be represented by its president , Antonio Costa. The summit is expected to culminate in the signing of a document aimed at ending the Gaza conflict and opening a new chapter of peace and stability in the region. The Egyptian foreign ministry called the gathering “historic” and emphasized its goal of alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people while strengthening regional security. Israel and Hamas would not attend the meet. “No Israeli official will attend,” AFP quoted Shosh Bedrosia , saying. The PM office further said that the Palestinians prisoners would be freed only “after all Gaza hostages arrive in Israel”. It added that Gaza hostages were expected to be freed ‘early Monday morning’. “The matter of the official signing – we will not be involved,” political bureau member Hossam Badran told AFP in an interview. He added that Hamas “acted principally through Qatari and Egyptian mediators” during ceasefire talks in Egypt. Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a 20-point plan he laid out Sept. 29 to bring a ceasefire to Gaza, release all Israeli captives being held there in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the entire Gaza Strip. The first phase of the deal came into force on Friday. A second phase of the plan calls for the establishment of a new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas’ participation, the formation of a multinational force, and the disarmament of Hamas. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed over 67,600 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable. |
Israel wont be at Peace Summit for Ceasefire Deal
