Egypt peace summit: Trump welcomes Bill Clinton's ‘great credit’ praise for him on Gaza ceasefire, says ‘very nice’

As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel freed close to 2,000 detainees, mostly Palestinians. Hamas praised the move, calling it a "national milestone" in the Palestinian struggle, AFP reported.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday requested US President Donald Trump to pressure Russia to end its war in Ukraine. His remarks came after Trump successfully brokered a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to AFP.

"We also hope that the American president will now use the influence he has exerted on the parties involved in the (Middle East) to work with us on the Russian government," Merz said during his visit to Egypt, where he was set to attend a summit of world leaders, including Trump.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stated on Monday that the Gaza agreement "closes a painful chapter in human history and opens a new era of peace and stability" for the Middle East, according to AFP.

Sisi, who signed a declaration alongside other guarantors of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal, described the day as "historic" for peace and said it paved the way for a two-state solution.

Palestinians broke into celebrations on Monday following Israel’s release of nearly 2,000 prisoners as part of a Gaza ceasefire agreement that included the return of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, according to AP. Large crowds gathered in Beitunia, located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and in Gaza’s Khan Younis to welcome the released prisoners. They were met with cheers, flashing V-for-victory hand signs, and were draped in traditional keffiyeh scarves symbolizing Palestinian nationalism. Some freed detainees were hoisted onto shoulders in jubilation, while others, visibly tired, sank into chairs to rest.

Donald Trump took a victory lap in the Middle East on Monday, though the ceasefire deal he was there to celebrate could be just the start of a long road towards lasting peace. In Israel, Trump basked in a standing ovation from parliament, before travelling to Egypt for a Gaza summit where he was applauded by world leaders.

"The prayers of millions have finally been answered," Trump declared in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh with his counterparts lined up behind him. “At long last, we have peace in the Middle East,” he said, as per AFP.

US President Donald Trump avoided stating a clear stance on the recognition of a Palestinian state, just hours after he signed the Gaza ceasefire agreement with several world leaders at a peace summit in Egypt, ANI reported.

"I'm not talking about single state or double state or two state, we're talking about the rebuilding of Gaza," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned from the Middle East.

At a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, the Egyptian president described US President Donald Trump’s Middle East proposal as the “last chance” to achieve peace in the region, PTI reported. He emphasised the Palestinians’ right to an independent state and reaffirmed his support for a two-state solution. The summit, held in Egypt’s Red Sea resort, focused on backing the Gaza ceasefire, which ended the Israel-Hamas conflict, and on creating a long-term strategy for governing and rebuilding the war-torn Palestinian territory.

Trump said, "India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top and he's just done a fantastic job." He added, "I think Pakistan and India are going to live very nicely together," as he glanced at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who stood behind him and responded with a chuckle.

US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday, reacted to former President Bill Clinton’s praise for Trump's involvement in securing the Gaza ceasefire, calling the acknowledgment “very nice", according to ANI.

“I thought it was very nice, actually. And what is he doing? He's telling the truth,” Trump said as he returned to Washington, DC, following his trip to the Middle East.

President Donald Trump advocated for a renewed period of peace in the Middle East during a global summit focused on Gaza's future. This came after his visit to Israel, where he marked a US-mediated ceasefire agreement with Hamas, as part of a broader effort to promote regional stability.

“We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us," Trump stated, as per PTI, encouraging leaders “to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past.”

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi explicitly emphasized a two-state solution as the ultimate goal of the process.

Speaking at the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, el-Sisi highlighted the broader regional vision for peace: “The peace process currently underway could lead to the implementation of the two-state solution in a manner that ensures our shared vision of joint cooperation among all the peoples of the region, and even integration among all its countries.” (NYT)

Former US President Bill Clinton issued a statement welcoming the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, calling the resolution “a fragile but crucial step” toward stability in the region.

Highlighting the progress made, Clinton expressed relief at the release of the remaining hostages. “I’m grateful that a ceasefire has taken hold, that the last 20 living hostages have been freed, and that desperately needed aid has begun to flow into Gaza,” he said.

Clinton acknowledged the role of US President Donald Trump and other international stakeholders in facilitating the ceasefire. “President Trump and his administration, Qatar, and other regional actors deserve great credit for keeping everyone engaged until the agreement was reached,” he noted.

Clinton emphasized that lasting peace would require continued collaboration. “Now Israel and Hamas—with the support of the United States, the region, and the world—must try to turn this fragile moment into lasting peace that provides for the dignity and security of both Palestinians and Israelis,” he said.

Four hostages’ bodies held in Gaza were returned to Israel on Monday and handed over to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine for identification.

The handover was facilitated through the Red Cross and is part of a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump between Israel and Hamas.

Hamas still retains the remains of 24 deceased hostages, which it has agreed to return under the ceasefire deal.

More than two dozen nations gathered in Egypt as US President Donald Trump and global leaders signed a ceasefire deal aimed at ending hostilities in Gaza.

The summit brought together key international and regional players, including representatives from the United Nations, the European Union, and the Arab League.

According to a White House official, countries represented at the summit included Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, UN Secretary General António Guterres, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair also attended.

US President Donald Trump departed Egypt aboard Air Force One after attending the Gaza peace ceremony in Sharm el-Sheikh.

He is expected to arrive in Washington, D.C., early Tuesday morning.

The peace ceremony marked the signing of the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

"I'm pleased to announce that numerous countries of great wealth and power and dignity have come forward to me just today and over the last week to say they want to help in the reconstruction of Gaza, putting up whatever money is necessary," Donald Trump said.

"And the money, of course, it's a lot of money but it's not much compared to the value or the wealth of these tremendous countries. And they are ensuring stability and success in the Middle East."

Speaking at the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh alongside several regional leaders, Donald Trump said: “This is the first time the Middle East crisis has brought people together, as opposed to driving them apart,” Trump said. “Let us continue in the spirit of cooperation and goodwill that has finally brought us to this incredible, historic breakthrough.”

Trump remarked that major agreements often come together unexpectedly.

“It all came together just at one little period,” he said. “The greatest deals just sort of happen. And that’s what happened right here. And maybe this is going to be the greatest deal of them all.”

US President Donald Trump praised Middle Eastern leaders for achieving the “unthinkable” with the Hamas-Israel peace agreement.

He credited Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia for their crucial roles in brokering peace.

Trump announced that “the war in Gaza is over,” marking the end of years of suffering and bloodshed.

He said hundreds of trucks carrying food, medical supplies, and other aid are entering Gaza, funded by nations present at the summit.

Civilians are going back home, and hostages are reuniting with families — “It’s beautiful,” Trump remarked.

Trump said reconstruction will begin soon, calling it “the easiest part” after securing peace.

“We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us," US President Donald Trump said at SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt, and he urged leaders “to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past.”

“Everybody said it's not possible to do. And it's going to happen. And it is happening before your very eyes," Trump said alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi awarded President Donald Trump the Nile Collar, Egypt’s highest state honor, in recognition of his contributions to promoting peace and resolving conflicts, including his role in ending the recent war in Gaza.

El-Sisi’s office said in a statement that the honor was given for Trump’s “significant contributions to promoting peace, resolving conflicts, and most recently, his pivotal role in ending the war in Gaza.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on X that four coffins of deceased hostages are being escorted from Gaza to Israel for formal identification. The IDF stated that the coffins will be transferred to the National Center of Forensic Medicine, where authorities will carry out identification procedures.

The military said that the results will first be communicated directly to the families of the deceased hostages.

Before entering Israeli territory, a military protocol will be conducted in Gaza in memory of the hostages. During the ceremony, IDF soldiers will drape the coffins with Israeli flags, perform military salutes, and recite a chapter from the Book of Psalms, honoring the lives of those who were killed.

US President Donald Trump joined the leaders of Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey in an official signing ceremony for the historic Gaza Peace Deal.

At Gaza Peace Summit LIVE, US President Donald Trump said, "It's a tremendous day for the Middle East... and it's just an honor to be a part of it. We're going to be signing a document that's going to spell out a lot of rules and regulations... and it's really working out incredibly well."

MoS MEA Kirti Vardhan Singh meets US President Donald J Trump at the Middle East Peace Ceremony.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi held a meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh with the leaders of France, Qatar, Germany, the United Kingdom and other nations to discuss the future of Gaza, including “efforts for reconstruction,” a spokesperson for the presidency was quoted by CNN as saying.

“The meeting was held with the aim of coordinating among the participating countries regarding the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, including efforts for reconstruction and the provision of humanitarian aid,” the spokesperson said.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi welcomed US President Donald Trump to his country. In a post on Facebook shortly after Trump arrived in Egypt, Sisi said that, at the upcoming peace summit held in Sharm El Sheikh, the “populations’ will is tied with the world leaders’ determination to ending the war in Gaza.”

“They all carry a single message to mankind: Enough with war … welcome to peace,” he said.

Israel says it has released more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

In a statement, Netanyahu's office said he had been invited by US President Donald Trump to participate in the meeting of world leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh but declined “due to the timing's proximity to the beginning of (a Jewish) holiday.”

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani attend a meeting on the sideline of Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit, in the Egyptian Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, on October 13, 2025.

The summit, co-chaired by US President Donald Trump and Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, will see more than 20 leaders gather to mark the Gaza ceasefire and the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees.

Released hostage, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and taken to Gaza, arrives at Sheba Medical Center, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Ramat Gan, Israel October 13, 2025.

Trump said at the Knesset, “I terminated Iran nuclear deal and I was very proud.”

Trump said, “You're all be doing me a favor if you all join up in the Abraham Accords.”

Trump said, “If Iran had the nuclear weapon, Arab nations wouldn't be comfortable making the deal we have now.”

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas arrives in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh to attend key summit co-chaired by the US and Egypt

“Hamas will be disarmed,” Trump reaffirmed on Monday.

Israel Hamas Ceasefire LIVE: Two Israeli Knesset members expelled after disrupting Trump speech.

President Trump applauds his negotiating team during speech in Israel, including a special shout out for his daughter. "Let me also give a very special thanks to someone who truly loves Israel, in fact, loves it so much that my daughter converted."

Trump said, “At last not only for israelis but also palestinians, the long nightmare is finally over.”

Trump reminded Israel of two lasting vows – ‘Never forget and never again.’

Trump declared that he has now “ended 8 wars now’” He said, “This includes today…the hostages are back.”

President Trump declares the end of the Israel- Hamas war to be the "historic dawn of a new Middle East," saying it will soon be a "magnificent region."

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks to The Knesset in Israel's Jerusalem. "After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the embrace of their families...," he said.

A Knesset member has been expelled as he raised objections during Trump's speech. Trump joked, “that was very efficient”

Trump is addresses Israeli Parliament. He began his speech, saying, ‘it’s nice place'

JUST IN! Trump addresses Israeli Parliament

‘Hope is our national anthem...hope is our strength,’ says Netanyahu

‘You brought America back again to the driver's seat,’ Netanyahu told Trump during his address at Israeli Parliament.

Netanyahu lauds Trump ahead of his Knesset address: ‘You will be etched in the history of our people’

Speaking at the Knesset ahead of an address by US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells him in Hebrew that “you will be etched in the history of our people.”

“You’ve already been etched in the history of humanity,” Netanyahu tells Trump, sitting next to the prime minister at the dais. “We remember our friends, and we know your important and decisive role in bringing back the rest of our hostages.”

“Thank you, President Trump,” Netanyahu says. “Thank you.”

'Trump approved Israel's plan [military pressure] and Hamas caved in,' said Netanyahu while speaking at Israeli Parliament.

Netanyahu thanked Trump for ‘unequivocal backing of Israel.’