World Leaders Convene in Sharm el-Sheikh to Support Gaza Ceasefire
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt – An international summit convened in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, bringing together world leaders to bolster the recently established ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and to discuss plans for Gaza’s reconstruction and recovery. The conference signals broad international support for ending the recent conflict and addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The summit comes after a ceasefire brokered with key contributions from Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Turkish President Recep tayyip Erdogan is among those attending, reflecting Turkey’s role in facilitating the agreement after years of hosting Hamas political leaders. Egypt, which successfully averted plans for the depopulation of the Gaza Strip, is hosting the event and will collaborate with Jordan to train a new Palestinian security force.
Germany, a major supplier of military equipment to Israel, is represented by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has voiced concern over Israel’s conduct of the war and it’s planned military takeover of Gaza. Germany will co-host a reconstruction conference with Egypt.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged 20 million British pounds (27 million dollars) for water and sanitation in Gaza and announced Britain will host a three-day conference to coordinate reconstruction and recovery efforts. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, European Union President António Costa, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are also in attendance.
Sharm el-Sheikh has a long history as a venue for peace negotiations. Briefly occupied by Israel in 1956,it hosted a United Nations peacekeeping force until 1967. The Sinai Peninsula, including Sharm el-Sheikh, was returned to Egypt in 1982 following the 1979 peace treaty with Israel. the city previously hosted numerous peace summits and negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians under President Hosni Mubarak, and has continued to host international conferences under President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi. This marks the first peace summit held in the city under El-Sissi’s leadership.
