Gaza is peaceful — but for how long?

World leaders have signed an agreement officially ending Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, once associated only with leisure and tourism, has this time hosted a historic event marking the end of one of the century’s greatest tragedies. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad, and U.S. President Donald Trump jointly signed a document bringing a decisive end to the massacres in Gaza. Yet this ending still comes with a caveat — “for now.” The presence of Israel on one side of the agreement raises doubts, as the country has a long history of violating even the highest-level, jointly signed international agreements. Over the years, Israel has repeatedly disregarded international law, from illegal annexations and massacres to crimes against humanity and breaches of numerous resolutions and ceasefires. Still, at least for today, peace has been restored in Gaza. The genocide has stopped.

Trump’s visit to Israel

Shortly after the visits of his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff to Israel, Donald Trump himself landed at Ben Gurion Airport on October 13. He was received by Benjamin Netanyahu, a man condemned to live with the title “Butcher of Gaza,” now shunned even by leaders like Erdoğan, along with his wife Sara. Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Kushner were already there. The U.S. president arrived mainly to deliver a speech at Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, and on his way there told journalists that the war was officially over. His address at the Knesset was eventful — many attendees wore red caps reading “Trump, the President of Peace.” Lawmakers who protested during his speech were promptly removed from the hall.

The most striking part of Trump’s speech was his request that the Israeli President pardon Prime Minister Netanyahu. For several years, Netanyahu has faced three corruption cases involving bribery, fraud, and abuse of trust. He is accused of receiving expensive gifts such as cigars and champagne from wealthy businessmen and attempting to influence media coverage in his favor. Trump proposed to Israeli President Isaac Herzog that he consider pardoning Netanyahu. Members of the Knesset reacted with mixed laughter and applause as Trump joked about the cigars and champagne.

“Mr. President, why shouldn’t you pardon him? Like it or not, he became one of the best leaders during wartime. And as for the cigars and champagne — who really cares?” Trump said, addressing Herzog.

Hamas returns Israeli hostages

During Trump’s stay in Israel, Hamas released all Israeli hostages who had survived two years in captivity. The first group of seven, followed by another thirteen, were handed over to Israel. They were initially transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross, then taken to a military base for medical checks. Videos of emotional reunions with their families quickly went viral online. According to Israel’s state broadcaster “Kan,” the released hostages were in satisfactory condition and able to move independently. In response, Israel freed around 1,700 Palestinian prisoners. Among them were over 250 serving life sentences, with about 100 returned to the West Bank and more than 150 deported to Egypt. Palestinians greeted their returning relatives with great joy.

Next, Hamas is expected to return the remains of deceased Israeli soldiers. Reports indicate that 24 bodies remain in its possession, though many have already been buried, making their identification difficult. Officials warned that this process may take time. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, known for his hardline stance, voiced dissatisfaction, announcing that Israel would conduct its own forensic examinations to confirm the identities. However, Israel itself had complicated the exchange process by earlier declaring it would not return the body of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar or former Fatah members.

World leaders gather in Egypt

On October 13, a peace summit on Gaza was held in Sharm el-Sheikh under the joint chairmanship of Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Titled “Peace 2025,” the summit brought together an impressive roster of world leaders. In addition to Trump, Erdoğan, el-Sisi, and Tamim bin Hamad, attendees included Emmanuel Macron, Giorgia Meloni, Mahmoud Abbas, Keir Starmer, Friedrich Merz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ilham Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Shehbaz Sharif, and others.

The meeting was a continuation of earlier negotiations held on October 9 in Sharm el-Sheikh, mediated by the United States, Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar.

It should be noted, however, that the much-discussed “Peace 2025” summit did not fully resolve the Gaza conflict. The participating leaders only adopted a general declaration without specific clauses or implementation mechanisms. International media have expressed skepticism about the impact of such a purely declarative document. Under Trump’s plan, the four countries that signed the declaration — the U.S., Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar — committed themselves to overseeing peace efforts, urging compliance with the agreement, and coordinating joint actions.

Trump thanked his staff and advisers for achieving what he called “the hardest deal.”

“I thought this would probably be the hardest one — and in some ways, it was. But we had tremendous talent and potential. We had an extraordinarily capable team, and the countries around this table helped make it possible,” Trump said.

A photograph taken during the signing ceremony revealed that the top of the document bore the words “tolerance, dignity, and equal opportunity for all people.” The first clause on the final page read:

“We seek tolerance, dignity, and equal opportunity for all people, aiming to make this region a place where everyone — regardless of race, religion, or nationality — can pursue their dreams in peace, security, and economic prosperity.”

Challenges remain

Despite the grand summit, numerous disputes and unresolved issues remain around the Gaza agreement. Although Trump emphasized the rapid progress of negotiations, several points have yet to be settled. The key questions are when Hamas will disarm, when Israel’s army will completely withdraw from Gaza, whether the International Peace Council will act impartially in governing the region, and whether Israel will refrain from obstructing the eventual establishment of a free Palestinian state integrating Gaza and the West Bank. None of these questions have been answered — not even by the “big names” gathered in Egypt.

Tentative positions are emerging. Hamas has agreed to disarm only once Israel fully withdraws and local governance is restored. Israel, however, opposes any integration of Gaza with the West Bank after the truce, signaling resistance to the creation of a unified Palestinian state. It is no secret that Israel’s political leadership refuses to tolerate the formation of an independent Palestine uniting Gaza and the West Bank with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Erdoğan shuns Netanyahu, advises Meloni

Though the summit concluded largely with general statements, several noteworthy moments occurred before and during the event. On October 12, Netanyahu announced that Israel would not send representatives to the summit. However, reports later suggested he might attend personally, which Egyptian sources initially confirmed. When Erdoğan learned of this while en route to Egypt, he reportedly declared that if Netanyahu attended, he would refuse to land in Sharm el-Sheikh. According to some accounts, Erdoğan’s plane only landed after confirmation that Netanyahu would not participate — reaffirming his earlier stance that he would never share a room with the “Butcher of Gaza.”

Besides this incident, other notable absences included Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Reuters reported that Egypt had invited Iran, but Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declined the invitation. During the summit, several leaders held private meetings. Trump had a lengthy conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, while Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also met warmly with Abbas. Erdoğan again drew attention when he advised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to quit smoking, prompting a playful remark from Macron that it would be “impossible for her.”

For now, these are the key developments surrounding the Sharm el-Sheikh summit. The high-profile gathering yielded one significant outcome: the four signatory countries — the United States, Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar — took responsibility for ensuring lasting peace in Gaza. Without the direct participation of Israel or Hamas, the summit outlined a 21-point plan that these nations will oversee and enforce. French President Emmanuel Macron also emphasized that his country intends to play an active role in Gaza’s future governance. Negotiations to implement the peace plan and discuss each provision will continue step by step.