Sharm el‑Sheikh summit yields peace pledge; Netanyahu absent as U.S. pushes 'Phase Two'
Leaders at the Sharm el‑Sheikh summit, co‑chaired by President Trump and Egypt’s el‑Sisi, signed a broadly worded peace pledge backing the Gaza ceasefire and a 20‑point plan — a deal Trump hailed as ending the war while urging mediators to begin "Phase Two" — but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not attend, citing the Simchat Torah holiday. The U.S. is moving to implement Phase Two by deploying roughly 200 CENTCOM personnel to Israel to monitor the truce (they will not enter Gaza), while Egypt and several countries have discussed contributing forces under a UN‑mandated multinational security mission as ceasefire enforcement incidents and massive reconstruction costs remain unresolved.
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📌 Key Facts
- A Sharm el‑Sheikh summit co‑chaired by President Trump and Egypt’s President el‑Sisi convened nearly three dozen countries and produced a signed Gaza ceasefire agreement and a 20‑point plan described by some outlets as a vague peace pledge.
- Under the ceasefire Hamas released the final 20 living Israeli hostages; Israel has begun freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and pulled back troops from parts of Gaza as humanitarian shipments ramp up.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not attend the summit, citing proximity to the Simchat Torah holiday after being invited following Trump intervention; Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas attended.
- The United States is deploying roughly 200 CENTCOM personnel to Israel to monitor and support ceasefire implementation (none will enter Gaza); Adm. Brad Cooper participated in talks and a U.S. command center could be operational in about 2.5 weeks.
- Summit leaders endorsed pursuing a multinational security force and interim governance arrangements for Gaza that would require a U.N. Security Council mandate; some Muslim‑majority countries signaled readiness to contribute forces and Egypt said it would commit troops within a UN‑mandated framework.
- Ceasefire enforcement already shows fragility: Israel has pulled back to defined 'yellow line' positions but reported incidents (warning fire and shots fired at suspects crossing the buffer), and only four sets of deceased hostages’ remains have been returned so far.
- Trump framed the outcome as a historic achievement and announced mediators will begin 'Phase Two' of the plan, emphasizing Gaza reconstruction while declining to commit to a two‑state solution; U.S. and international actors dispute how much of the plan builds on prior frameworks.
- Reconstruction needs are large: a joint U.N.–EU–World Bank estimate put Gaza’s rebuilding cost at about $70 billion (with roughly $20 billion needed over the next three years), and the deal includes steps to increase aid flows, including reopening five border crossings.
📚 Contextual Background
- A peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump called for Hamas to free all remaining hostages and for the Israeli military to begin withdrawing from parts of Gaza in phases; the plan also proposed transferring parts of Gaza to a "technocratic" Palestinian committee and deploying a temporary security force backed by Arab states.
- The proposed plan specified that Hamas would release the remaining hostages taken on October 7, 2023 within 72 hours of an agreement, and that Israel would release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences plus 1,700 other Gazans detained after the start of the conflict as part of the exchange.
- U.S. officials in 2025 described a two-phase approach to ceasefire negotiations in which an initial hostage release would be followed by an Israeli military pullback to a previously held boundary position, while decisions about Gaza's future governing structure could be negotiated concurrently.
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
The Good Fight Club: Gaza Ceasefire, U.S. Government Shutdown, and America’s Slouch Towards Autocracy
"An opinion piece reading the U.S.‑brokered Gaza ceasefire and high‑profile diplomacy as partly performative and warning that those foreign‑policy gains are being used to legitimize an alarming domestic drift toward centralized executive power—illustrated by the shutdown, mass RIFs and securitized enforcement—urging vigilance about erosion of democratic norms."
📰 Sources (19)
Israeli troops 'open fire' on suspects who approached soldiers in northern Gaza
New information:
- Concrete enforcement incident reported under Phase 1 of the ceasefire: IDF fire on suspects crossing the designated 'yellow line' buffer in northern Gaza.
- Confirms ceasefire posture details (Israeli pullback to defined lines) and underscores risks of violations during transition to later phases.
Questions remain about deceased Israeli hostages in Gaza
New information:
- UNDP’s Jaco Cillers cited a joint UN–EU–World Bank estimate of $70B to rebuild Gaza, with $20B needed over the next three years.
- Ceasefire implementation update: only four sets of deceased hostages’ remains have been returned; two victims were publicly identified.
- IDF reported an incident of warning fire near the 'yellow line' pullback line in northern Gaza.
Trump declines to commit to two-state solution after historic Gaza peace deal: 'We'll have to see'
New information:
- Trump declined to commit to a two-state solution, saying “We’ll have to see,” and emphasized focusing on Gaza reconstruction.
- He said any decision on Gaza’s political end-state will be made with regional and international partners.
- Reiterates that roughly 200 U.S. personnel will help monitor and support the ceasefire implementation.
- Notes Israel agreed to reopen five border crossings to increase aid flows into Gaza.
Trump’s Big Gamble on Tackling the Middle East’s Intractable Problems
New information:
- WSJ says the summit ended with a 'vague peace pledge' signed by Trump and the leaders of Turkey, Egypt and Qatar, citing a draft document reviewed by the Journal.
- Netanyahu was initially not asked to attend; Trump helped secure an invitation, but Netanyahu declined, citing the Simchat Torah holiday, with some Arab states balking at his presence.
- Trump’s Knesset remarks framed the effort as 'the historic dawn of a new Middle East.'
WATCH: Pakistani prime minister says Trump is a ‘man of peace’ at Gaza summit
New information:
- Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly praised President Trump at the summit, calling him a 'man of peace.'
- Sharif said he would like to nominate President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
- Confirms Pakistan’s participation at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit supporting the Gaza ceasefire and next steps.
Blinken claims Trump’s Gaza ceasefire deal drew from Biden-era framework
New information:
- Antony Blinken claims Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan was adopted from and built on a framework developed during the Biden administration.
- Blinken says the Biden team briefly secured a January ceasefire that led to the release of 135 hostages before it collapsed.
- Blinken credits Trump for reaffirming principles of no platform for terrorism, no annexation, no occupation, no forced population transfers, and aiming for conditions leading to a credible pathway to a Palestinian state.
- Trump dismisses Blinken’s claim as a 'joke' in remarks to Fox News aboard Air Force One, blaming Biden/Obama policies for regional conflicts.
Trump celebrates peace in the Middle East after signing Gaza deal: 'Achieved the impossible'
New information:
- Trump says the Gaza peace agreement has been signed at Sharm el‑Sheikh and declares 'peace in the Middle East.'
- Confirms Hamas released the final remaining 20 living hostages on Monday.
- Trump says mediators will now begin work on 'Phase Two' of the 20‑point plan.
- On‑camera quotes from Trump framing the deal as 'achieved the impossible.'
WATCH LIVE: Trump speaks at Gaza ‘peace summit’ after signing deal with world leaders
New information:
- Trump has arrived in Sharm el‑Sheikh, Egypt, and is speaking live at the Gaza summit.
- Nearly three dozen countries are represented at the summit, per the AP/PBS report.
- White House excerpts preview Trump’s summit message calling this a 'once-in-a-lifetime chance' and urging Palestinians to abandon violence, with a stated 'hand of friendship' extended to Iran.
WATCH: Trump meets with Egypt’s el-Sisi ahead of summit on Gaza ceasefire
New information:
- Trump met Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi in Sharm el‑Sheikh ahead of the Gaza summit and reiterated that the ceasefire and peace process are moving forward.
- AP/PBS specify that “more than two dozen” countries are expected to be represented at the summit.
- Netanyahu was invited to the summit but declined, with his office citing proximity to a Jewish holiday.
- Trump pledged to help rebuild Gaza and urged Palestinians to turn away from violence; he also extended a “hand of friendship” to Iran despite earlier U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites this year.
- Timing detail: Trump arrived in Egypt hours late after extended Knesset speeches; he met with some hostage families at the Knesset, and 20 hostages were released Monday under the ceasefire.
WATCH: Netanyahu tells Israeli parliament he’s ‘committed to this peace’ as Trump touts Gaza deal
New information:
- Netanyahu’s office said he will not travel to Egypt for the summit due to a Jewish holiday, clarifying mixed reporting about his attendance.
WATCH: Trump celebrates hostage release, calls for Netanyahu pardon in speech to Israeli parliament
New information:
- New on-record appeal: Trump urged President Herzog to pardon Netanyahu during the Knesset speech.
- Netanyahu will not attend the Sharm el‑Sheikh summit, citing the proximity to Simchat Torah.
- Trump said he is running late to the summit after extended Knesset proceedings and may meet freed hostages at Sheba Medical Center.
- Additional rhetoric: praise for Miriam Adelson; ‘hand of friendship’ extended to Iran; repeated assertion Israel has ‘won.’
Trump Declares an End to Gaza War in Middle East Victory Lap
New information:
- Public, on‑camera declaration in the Knesset that the Gaza war is 'over' as Trump takes a victory lap for the ceasefire deal.
- New emphasis that Trump wants Israel and Arab states to 'embrace the opportunities' for a broader settlement, explicitly including Iran.
- Acknowledgment that a multinational security force and interim Gaza governance require further negotiation despite the ceasefire.
World leaders gathering in Egypt throw their weight behind Gaza ceasefire deal
New information:
- Summit for Peace is convening in Sharm el-Sheikh co-chaired by President Trump and Egypt’s President el-Sissi to back the Gaza ceasefire.
- Israel and Hamas are not attending; Netanyahu won’t travel due to a Jewish holiday; PA leader Mahmoud Abbas arrived for the summit.
- Egypt’s foreign minister publicly urged continued U.S. engagement, including potential 'deployment on the ground,' and said a UN Security Council resolution is needed to mandate an international peacekeeping force.
- Summit expected to last about two hours, with a joint Trump–el-Sissi statement anticipated after.
- Context updates: Hamas released the 20 remaining living Israeli hostages and Israel has begun freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners; Israeli troops pulled back from parts of Gaza as aid groups prepare large shipments.
Netanyahu to skip Trump’s Middle East peace summit in Egypt as new regional dynamics take shape
New information:
- Netanyahu will not attend Monday’s Sharm el-Sheikh peace summit co-hosted by President Trump and Egypt’s President el-Sisi.
- Netanyahu’s office cited time constraints related to Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (Oct. 13–15) as the reason.
- Expected attendees include leaders from Turkey, Jordan, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and top UN/EU representatives; PA President Mahmoud Abbas is slated to attend.
- Israeli opposition figure Yair Golan publicly condemned Netanyahu’s decision in comments to Fox News.
- Indonesian FM denied Israeli media reports that President Prabowo Subianto would visit Israel, tempering speculation about imminent normalization.
Trump brokered Netanyahu's participation at Gaza peace conference in Egypt
New information:
- Trump secured Netanyahu’s participation in the Sharm summit via a call to Egypt’s Sisi, potentially strengthening efforts to expand the Abraham Accords.
- Netanyahu agreed to attend after Trump urged him during their ride from Ben Gurion Airport to the Knesset.
Transcript: Badr Abdelatty on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Oct. 12, 2025
New information:
- Egypt confirms some countries have expressed readiness to deploy forces to Gaza and that Cairo itself will commit troops within a UN‑mandated framework.
- Details a Security Council pathway to authorize and define the international force’s mission.
Transcript: Vice President JD Vance on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Oct. 12, 2025
New information:
- Vance said the President is set to depart 'this evening' for the Middle East to meet hostages.
- He publicly identified Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as key members of the negotiating team.
- He claimed commitments from Muslim‑majority countries, extending to Indonesia, to deploy ground troops to secure Gaza.
US sends CENTCOM troops to Israel for Trump-brokered Hamas ceasefire monitoring
New information:
- Confirms CENTCOM personnel will be on the ground in Israel by Sunday to monitor the ceasefire.
- Specifies composition and specialties of the U.S. team and that none will enter Gaza.
- Details that Adm. Brad Cooper participated in Sharm el‑Sheikh talks and is now in Israel; command center could be operational in ~2.5 weeks.