Egypt hosts conference on reconstruction of Gaza Strip

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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced Monday that Cairo will host a conference in November on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, based on the plan of his US counterpart, Donald Trump.

"Egypt will work with the United States to advance reconstruction," Al-Sisi said during a ceremony in the seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, attended by around 30 world leaders, during which a declaration was signed committing international mediators to an end to hostilities between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

The agreement between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas was pushed by Washington and negotiated over several days in Sharm el-Sheikh with the mediation of delegations from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.

At this stage, a ceasefire was agreed, along with the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, the mass entry of humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave, and the exchange of hostages for prisoners.

The second phase , negotiations for which the US leader said have already begun, will address the reconstruction of the enclave, as well as the disarmament of Hamas and the governance of the Gaza Strip.

" Peace is complemented by reconstruction after destruction ," said the Egyptian president, who hoped for "a Middle East where people enjoy peace, without terrorism and devoid of weapons of mass destruction." "I take this opportunity to appeal to the Israeli people to make this moment an opportunity to achieve peace: extend your hands to implement peace," said Al-Sisi.

The Egyptian President also said that "this agreement closes a painful page in the history of humanity" and hopes it will be a turning point for "a better future" in the Middle East .

Al-Sisi also praised Trump and invited him to join "world leaders who are fighting for peace," while expressing appreciation for "the wise leadership with the proposal and the plan to end the catastrophic war."

The Egyptian President recalled that the objective of the plan is to open "the necessary horizon" to materialize the two-state solution, which envisages the creation of an independent Palestinian state, something that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu completely opposes.

That said, Al-Sisi reinforced that the Palestinian people “have the right to self-determination and the right to freedom and security alongside Israel” , as well as to “mutual recognition”.

"We are committed to carrying out your plan. May the Gaza war be the last," he added, noting that the agreement is proof that "peace is the option that must be based on justice."

The conference was co-chaired by Trump and Al-Sisi and included the participation of leaders from several countries in the region as well as European leaders and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, but neither Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor Hamas were present.

However, it was attended by the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmud Abbas.

In total, 1,968 prisoners have been released under the Gaza Strip ceasefire agreement, including many convicted of deadly attacks against Israel, as well as 1,700 Palestinians arrested for alleged "security reasons", since the war began in October 2023.

In exchange, Hamas returned 20 hostages alive in two waves, held captive in the Palestinian enclave for almost two years, but indicated that it would only hand over four bodies of the 28 presumed dead this Monday.

The war in the Gaza Strip was triggered by the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, in southern Israel, in which around 1,200 people died and 251 were taken hostage.

In retaliation, Israel launched a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip, which resulted in more than 67,000 deaths, according to local Hamas-controlled authorities, the destruction of almost all of the territory's infrastructure, and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.