Document to support Gaza ceasefire deal signed at summit in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh

Sharm El-Sheikh, Oct 14 (IANS) A document to support the recently-reached Gaza ceasefire deal was signed by the deal's four mediators, though without the attendance of either Israel or Hamas.

The document was signed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, US President Donald Trump, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Xinhua news agency reported.

The summit, co-chaired by Egyptian and US Presidents, witnessed the participation of leaders from more than 20 countries as well as regional and international organizations.

"I welcome you all to the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit, at this momentous and pivotal historical juncture, in which we have together witnessed the conclusion of the Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement to end the war in Gaza," Sisi said in his speech at the summit.

He said the move stands as "a glimmer of hope that this agreement will close a painful chapter in human history and open the door to a new era of peace and stability in the Middle East, granting the region's peoples, who have been exhausted by conflicts, a better tomorrow."

Sisi reiterated support for the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire plan, stressing that the agreement must be "solidified and all its phases implemented, leading to the realization of the two-state solution."

The summit focused on support for the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement to end the war in Gaza, which was concluded on October 9, through the mediation of Egypt, the United States, Qatar, and Turkey, according to the Egyptian presidency.

It also addressed the importance of cooperation among the international community to provide all means necessary to ensure the implementation of the agreement's provisions and maintain its continuity, including a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, the completion of the hostage and prisoner exchange process, the Israeli withdrawal, and the entry of humanitarian and relief aid into the Gaza Strip.

The first phase of the plan includes Israeli troop withdrawals from Gaza City, Rafah, Khan Younis, and the north, the exchange of hostages and prisoners, and the opening of five crossings for aid.

Hamas announced earlier on Monday that it had handed over all 20 remaining living hostages, who were captured during the attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have begun releasing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of the exchange deal.

More than two years of Israeli military operations have devastated Gaza, killing over 67,000 people and triggering famine, according to Gaza's health authorities and UN-backed food experts.

--IANS

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