SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — President Donald Trump called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East on Monday during global summit on the future of Gazatrying to promote wider peace in the region after visiting Israel to celebrate the US-brokered ceasefire with Hamas.
“We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put old divisions and bitter hatreds behind us,” Trump said, calling on leaders to “declare that our future will not be defined by the struggles of past generations.”
The whirlwind trip, which included a summit in Egypt and a speech at the Knesset in Jerusalem earlier in the day, came at a fragile moment of hope for an end to the two-year crisis. war between Israel and Hamas.
“Everyone said it was impossible. And it will happen. And this is happening before your eyes,” Trump said alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
Almost three dozen countries are represented at the summit, including from Europe and the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was invited but declined because his office said it was too close to a Jewish holiday.
Trump, el-Sisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani signed a document that Trump said would lay the foundation for the future of Gaza. However, a copy was not made public.
Despite unanswered questions about the next steps in the Palestinian enclave, which has been devastated during the conflictTrump is determined to seize the opportunity to achieve elusive regional harmony.
He expressed a similar sense of the finality of the war between Israel and Hamas in his speech in the Knesset, where he was hailed as a hero.
“You have won,” he told Israeli lawmakers. “Now it’s time to turn these victories over terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate reward of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.”
Trump promised to help rebuild Gaza and called on the Palestinians to “turn forever from the path of terror and violence.”
“After tremendous pain, death and hardship,” he said, “now is the time to focus on building up our people rather than trying to destroy Israel.”
Trump even made a gesture towards Iran, where he bombed three nuclear sites during the country's brief war with Israel earlier this year, declaring that “the hand of friendship and cooperation is always open.”
Trump embarks on whirlwind trip to the Middle East
Trump arrived in Egypt several hours late after speeches at the Knesset lasted longer than expected.
“They might not be there by the time I get there, but we'll try,” Trump joked, criticizing Israeli leaders for talking so much.
Twenty hostages were released on Monday as part of an agreement meant to end the war that began on October 7, 2023. attack by Hamas-led militants. Trump spoke with some of their families in the Knesset.
“Your name will be remembered for generations,” the woman told him.
Israeli lawmakers chanted Trump's name and gave him a standing ovation. Some people in the audience wore red hats reminiscent of his “Make America Great Again” caps, although those versions said “Trump, President of the World.”
Netanyahu called Trump “the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House” and promised to work with him in the future.
“Mr. President, you are committed to this world. I am committed to this peace,” he said. “And together, Mr. President, we will achieve this peace.”
Trump, in a surprise departure from the topic of his speech, called on the Israeli president to pardon Netanyahu, whom he called “one of the greatest” wartime leaders. Netanyahu faces corruption chargesalthough several hearings were postponed during the conflict with Hamas.
The Republican president also used the opportunity to settle political scores and thank his supporters, criticizing Democratic predecessors and praising a major donor. Miriam Adelsonin the audience.
Trump pushes to rebuild the region
The moment remains fragile as Israel and Hamas are still in the early stages of implementation first stage Trump's plan.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement calls for the release of the last hostages held by Hamas; release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners belongs to Israel; increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza; and a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza's main cities.
Trump said there was an opportunity to reshape the region and reset long-stalled relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
“The war is over, OK?” Trump told reporters traveling with him on Air Force One.
“I think people are tired of this,” he said, stressing that he believes this will keep the ceasefire going.
He said the chance for peace came from his Republican administration's support for Israel's destruction of Iranian proxies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The White House said the momentum is also growing because Arab and Muslim states demonstrate a renewed focus on resolving the broader, decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, in some cases, deepening relations with the United States.
In February, Trump predicted that Gaza could be transformed into what he called “Riviera of the Middle East”. But on Sunday aboard Air Force One, he was more cautious.
“I don’t know anything about Riviera yet,” Trump said. “It's blown up. It's like a demolition site.” But he said he hopes to visit the area one day. “I would like to at least stand firm on this,” he said.
Parties didn't agree about the post-war administration of Gaza, the restoration of the territory and Israel's demand that Hamas disarm. Negotiations on these issues may collapse, and Israel has hinted that it may resume military operations if its demands are not met.
Much of the Gaza Strip has been reduced to rubbleand the territory's estimated 2 million people continue to struggle in desperate conditions. Under the agreement, Israel agreed to reopen five border crossings, which will help ease the flow of food and other goods into the Gaza Strip, where parts are facing famine.
About 200 US troops will provide support and monitor the ceasefire agreement as part of a team that includes partner countries, non-governmental organizations and private sector players.
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Megeryan reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Will Weissert and Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report.
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Follow AP's coverage of the war between Israel and Hamas at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
Darlene Superville and Chris Megerian, The Associated Press
