Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has described US President Donald Trump's proposal for peace in the Middle East as the "last chance" for peace in the region.
El-Sisi, at a summit on the future of Gaza in Egypt, reiterated his call for accepting a two-state solution, saying that the Palestinians have the right to an independent state alongside Israel.
Trump's plan envisages the possibility of forming a Palestinian state, but only after a long transition period in Gaza and reforms implemented by an internationally recognized Palestinian authority.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes Palestinian independence.
El-Sisi also awarded Trump the Order of the Nile, Egypt's highest civilian honor.
(BETA)
United States President Donald Trump has returned to Washington after a quick visit to Egypt and Israel, during which he tried to reach a long-term peace agreement for Gaza.
Air Force One took off from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh after a summit on Gaza attended by more than two dozen world leaders, an AFP photographer on board reported.
United States President Donald Trump signed his Middle East peace plan at a Gaza summit in Egypt - along with negotiators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
As the Guardian writes, however, there were no representatives from either Israel or Hamas at the signing ceremony in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Hamas has handed over the remains of two slain hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza, an official involved in the operation said on Monday, The Guardian reports.
Hamas' armed wing had earlier said it would hand over the bodies of the four hostages.
Palestinians in the West Bank towns of Bethuniya and Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip cheered as nearly 2.000 of their compatriots were released from captivity by Israel today in accordance with a ceasefire agreement in exchange for hostages freed by Hamas.
United States President Donald Trump has boarded Air Force One and is ready to leave Israel to travel to Egypt for a Gaza peace summit, the Guardian reports.
He was seen off at the airport by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom Trump apparently exchanged cordial words – although most of the conversation on the tarmac was muffled by the noise of the aircraft.
Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will host a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, which will be attended by more than 20 world leaders.
The aim of the summit, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency, is to "end the war in the Gaza Strip, advance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and open a new chapter in regional security and stability."
The meeting's impressive goals are accompanied by an equally impressive list of participants, including many who played a key role in achieving the current ceasefire and hostage release agreement.
Only four bodies of the 28 killed hostages held by Hamas will be returned today, the Guardian reported, citing a statement from the forum of families of hostages and missing persons.
"The families of the hostages were shocked and dismayed to learn that only four bodies of the hostages out of a total of 28 held by Hamas would be returned today. This represents a clear violation of the agreement by Hamas."
We expect the Israeli government and the mediators to take urgent measures to correct this grave injustice.
"The families of the murdered hostages are going through particularly difficult days filled with deep sadness," the X (Iks) online forum posted.
Two buses of Palestinian prisoners were transferred from Israeli prisons to Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, on Monday, where they were greeted by cheering crowds, writes The Guardian.
A total of 88 of the nearly 2.000 prisoners were sent to the West Bank, while the rest were deported to Gaza, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Commission.
Starving prisoners draped in Palestinian keffiyehs showed the peace sign through the bus windows as an enthusiastic crowd chanted their names.
Among the scenes of joy were also scenes of sadness. Several families, who had been told by Israeli security services that their loved ones would be released, were stunned to see that their loved ones were not among those released.
The detainees told the families that more than a dozen people had been separated from the main group the night before to be deported to Gaza, which came as a surprise to the families. The deportation to Gaza meant that it would be almost impossible for the families to see their loved ones again.
The remainder of the nearly 2.000 Palestinian prisoners have been deported to Gaza, and a smaller number will be exiled to neighboring countries such as Turkey and Egypt.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also at the summit in Egypt.
US President Donald Trump said in a speech to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, that the ceasefire agreement represents the end of Israel's war in Gaza, but also "the end of an era of terror and death."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has arrived in Egypt.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited by US President Donald Trump to attend a summit in Egypt, but he will not attend because the event is too close to the start of the Jewish holiday, his office said.
Tonight begins Simchat Torah, a holiday also known as the Joy of Torah.
"The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for the invitation and for his efforts to expand the circle of peace — peace through strength," the statement said, as reported by Reuters.
A spokesman for the Egyptian president had earlier said that Netanyahu would attend the summit.
"Two years ago, the holiday of Simhat Torah became a day of national mourning. This year, with God's help, Simhat Torah will become a day of national joy, joy over the return of all our hostage brothers and sisters," Netanyahu said in a televised address a few days ago.
The Palestinian militant movement Hamas has handed over all 20 surviving hostages to Israel, a significant step towards ending the two-year devastating war in Gaza.
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A Gaza peace summit will be held today in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. It will be led by US President Donald Trump, while at least 20 world leaders will participate in the summit.
A spokesman for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will also attend the summit.
"Both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will participate in the peace summit to solidify the agreement to end the war in Gaza and reaffirm their commitment to it," the spokesman said, according to Reuters.
He also said that Trump and Netanyahu spoke with the president of Egypt while in Israel today.
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, among others, arrived in Egypt.
Trump arrived in Israel this morning, where he will address the parliament.
"Everybody wants to be part of peace," Trump said, as reported by Reuters.
"The war is over. This is a great day, a new beginning," he told reporters in parliament, insisting that Hamas would adhere to the plan to disarm the militant group.
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