Trump Signs Historic Gaza Peace Deal in Egypt as He Says, ‘This Took 3,000 Years to Get to This Point’ but Netanyahu Skips Summit

With the stroke of a pen, Donald Trump officially solidified the Israel-Hamas peace plan following the release of the last Israeli hostages from Gaza. The president was joined by Middle Eastern leaders in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday to mark the completion of the first phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

“This took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it? And it’s going to hold up too. It’s going to hold up,” Trump said as he signed the document. The specific details of the agreement have not yet been made public. The President is in the Middle East to oversee the peace deal.

Trump Emerges Winner

Trump was joined at the signing by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and leaders from Gulf nations, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Notably absent were leaders from both Hamas and Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been invited by Trump but declined to attend, citing a Jewish holiday.

Calling the moment a historic breakthrough, Trump described the signing as a turning point for peace in the Middle East.

“This is the day that people across this region and around the world have been working, striving, hoping, and praying for,” Trump added.

“They have done things over the last month that I think were really unthinkable. Nobody thought this could happen. With the historic agreement we have just signed, those prayers of millions have finally been answered.”

The document was also signed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Trump said the document lays the foundation for Gaza’s future and the path toward long-term stability in the region.

Speaking later before Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, he expressed hope that the signing would finally bring an end to the decades-long conflict between Israel and Gaza.

“You’ve won,” Trump told Israeli politicians. “Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.”

Messenger of Peace

Trump vowed to help rebuild Gaza and called on Palestinians to “turn forever from the path of terror and violence.” “After tremendous pain and death and hardship,’ he said, ‘now is the time to concentrate on building their people up instead of trying to tear Israel down.”

He also extended a symbolic gesture toward Iran — where he ordered strikes on three nuclear sites during the brief conflict earlier this year — noting that “the hand of friendship and cooperation is always open.”

Trump arrived in Egypt several hours late, as speeches at the Knesset ran longer than expected. “They might not be there by the time I get there, but we´ll give it a shot,” he joked, poking fun at Israeli leaders for their lengthy remarks.

Earlier Monday, twenty hostages were freed under the agreement aimed at ending the war that started on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a deadly attack. Trump met with some of their families at the Knesset, sharing in the emotional moment of their reunions.