On Monday, October 13, at a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey signed a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
This is reported by Reuters and The Times of Israel.
The signing of the agreement was attended, among others, by the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined an invitation to attend the summit at the last minute, citing the Simchat Torah celebration.
Trump welcomed the deal, saying he had "never seen anything like it."
"This is a day that people all over the region and all over the world have worked for, fought for, hoped for and prayed for. They have done things over the last month that I think were truly unthinkable. Nobody thought this could happen. Civilians are returning to their homes. Hostages are being reunited with loved ones. Itʼs just beautiful. Iʼve watched it from behind the scenes — the level of love and grief... Iʼve never seen anything like it," Trump said.
On October 13, Hamas released all 20 Israeli hostages, and Trump declared the war over.
War between Israel and Hamas
Active hostilities between Israel and Hamas have been ongoing since October 7, 2023. In mid-January 2025, Israel and Hamas reached agreements on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, but on the night of March 18, Israel resumed hostilities in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on August 7 that the country intends to take control of the entire coastal territory. In mid-August, the Israeli military approved a framework plan for a new offensive operation in Gaza.
The Israeli military launched a ground offensive on Gaza City on September 15, with tanks entering the area.
From March to October, the US and mediators tried to resolve the war. There were several rounds of negotiations, but the sides were unable to reach an agreement.
On October 8, the US President Donald Trump reported that Israel and Hamas had signed the first phase of his peace plan. The following day, the Israeli government approved the agreement.
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