US President Donald Trump has signed a Gaza ceasefire document, alongside key mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye. The ceremony in Egypt followed the release of all living Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Al Jazeera says the statement, released on October 13 after an international summit in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, is a rare acknowledgement by the administration of US President Donald Trump that Palestinians and Israelis deserve equal rights.
The proclamation also does not point the finger at Palestinians as the cause of the conflict in the way that successive US administrations have.
Notably, it reportedly reframes the struggle in Gaza as part of the broader Palestinian question. The Trump administration has previously avoided even describing the residents of Gaza as Palestinian.
However, the statement does not explicitly acknowledge Palestinians’ right to statehood and self-determination.
Palestine and Israel were not part of the proclamation despite being its subject matter.
BBC’s Russian Service reports that the recently brokered ceasefire agreement in Gaza is rooted in a 20-point peace plan initially proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. In a speech delivered to a summit of world leaders, Trump declared, "Together, we have achieved what many thought impossible. Finally, peace has arrived in the Middle East."
A photojournalist captured the final page of the signed declaration, though the document’s full contents remain unclear.
According to CNN, the first paragraph of the agreement reads: "We strive for tolerance, dignity, and equal opportunities for all people, aiming to make this region a place where everyone can fulfill their hopes in peace, security, and prosperity, regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity."
The page also lists the signatures and titles of regional leaders and mediators involved in the deal—representatives from the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
Notably absent from the summit were the key conflicting parties—Hamas and Israel. While Trump extended an invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the latter declined, citing the onset of the Simchat Torah festival.
Reuters and AFP, citing anonymous sources within the Turkish delegation, reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan protested the presence of Israeli representatives at the summit.
