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US President Donald Trump hailed a “tremendous day for the Middle East” as he and regional leaders signed a declaration meant to cement a ceasefire in Gaza, hours after Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners.Trump made a lightning visit to Israel, where he lauded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an address to parliament, before flying to Egypt for a Gaza summit where he and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey signed the declaration on Monday as guarantors to the ceasefire deal.”This is a tremendous day for the world, it’s a tremendous day for the Middle East,” Trump said as more than two dozen world leaders sat down to talk in the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.He later declared that the assembled leaders had “achieved what everybody said was impossible”. “At long last, we have peace in the Middle East,” Trump said in a speech.According to the declaration, the signatories pledged to “pursue a comprehensive vision of peace, security and shared prosperity in the region”, and also welcomed “the progress achieved in establishing comprehensive and durable peace arrangements in the Gaza Strip”.But the statement — released in full on Monday night by the White House — was vague about the path ahead for peace between Israel and its neighbours, including the Palestinians, making no mention of a one- or two-state solution.”We’re talking about rebuilding Gaza. I’m not talking about single state or double state or two state,” Trump told reporters en route back to the White House.Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said the Gaza deal “closes a painful chapter in human history” and sets the stage for a two-state solution.As part of Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war, Hamas on Monday freed the last 20 surviving hostages it held after two years of captivity in Gaza.In exchange, Israel released 1,968 mostly Palestinian prisoners held in its jails, its prison service said.”For so many families across this land, it has been years since you’ve known a single day of true peace,” Trump told Israel’s parliament, where he received a standing ovation.”Not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and for many others, the long and painful nightmare is finally over.”In Tel Aviv, a huge crowd that had gathered to support hostage families erupted in joy, tears and song as news broke of the first releases, though the pain at the loss of those who had not survived was palpable.In the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, huge crowds gathered to welcome home the first prisoners, with some chanting “Allahu akbar”, or God is the greatest, in celebration.And in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, residents climbed the sides of the slow-moving Red Cross buses carrying the prisoners to greet their loved ones with a hug or kiss.- ‘Emotion and sadness’ -“Welcome home,” Israel’s foreign ministry said on social media, hailing the return of the hostages.None of the captives spoke directly to AFP immediately after their return, but videos filmed and released by the Israeli military captured some of the raw emotion of the reunions.”My life, you are my life… you are a hero,” cried Einav Zangauker as she embraced her smiling son Matan, in one video.Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas is also due to return the bodies of 27 hostages who died or were killed in captivity, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in 2014 during a previous Gaza conflict. Of the prisoners Israel freed in return, around 250 were security detainees, including many convicted of killing Israelis, while about 1,700 were taken into custody by the army in Gaza during the war.On October 7, 2023, Hamas-led militants seized 251 hostages during their unprecedented attack on Israel, which led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians.All but 47 of those hostages were freed in earlier truces, with the families of those who have remained in captivity leading lives of constant pain and worry for their loved ones.- ‘A new birth’ -In Gaza, the ceasefire has brought relief, but with the territory racked by a humanitarian crisis and much of it flattened by war, the road to recovery remains long.Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,869 people, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers credible.”The greatest joy is seeing my whole family gathered to welcome me,” Yusef Afana, a 25-year-old released prisoner from north Gaza, told AFP in Khan Yunis. “I spent 10 months in prison — some of the hardest days I’ve ever lived.”In Ramallah, Palestinian prisoners released by Israel were met by a cheering crowd so dense that they struggled to get off the bus that delivered them from jail.”It’s an indescribable feeling, a new birth,” newly released Mahdi Ramadan told AFP, flanked by his parents.The UN Palestinian relief agency, UNRWA, called for the return of aid to battered Gaza.”Time to let in humanitarian aid at scale including through UNRWA,” said its chief, Philippe Lazzarini, on social media.- Sticking points -Much, however, remains to be negotiated.Among the potential sticking points are Hamas’s refusal to disarm and Israel’s failure to pledge full withdrawal from Gaza.Trump has repeatedly signalled he is confident the ceasefire will hold, saying at a joint appearance with Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh that talks on the next steps of the plan had already “started, as far as we’re concerned”.The US president announced in late September a 20-point plan for Gaza, which helped bring about the ceasefire.He briefly met Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas at the summit, which representatives of Israel and Hamas did not attend, and departed in the evening.Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem on Monday urged Trump and the mediators of the Gaza deal to “continue monitoring Israel’s conduct and to ensure it does not resume its aggression against our people”.

Wall Street stocks rebounded Monday from steep pre-weekend falls as US President Donald Trump softened his posture on China following earlier threats of large tariffs.European stock markets made modest gains while Asia’s leading stock markets began the week in the red as they caught up with Wall Street’s sharp losses Friday. Gold reached a fresh record …

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Donald Trump took a victory lap in the Middle East on Monday — though the ceasefire deal he was there to celebrate could be just the start of a long road towards lasting peace.In Israel the 79-year-old basked in a standing ovation from parliament, before travelling to Egypt for a Gaza summit where he was applauded by world leaders.”The prayers of millions have finally been answered,” Trump declared in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh with his counterparts lined up behind him. “At long last, we have peace in the Middle East.”The Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal he helped broker had put Trump in a notably good mood, as he joked with presidents and prime ministers in his usual close-to-the-bone style.”They have very little crime,” he said admiringly as he met co-host President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, whose country is regularly criticised for its rights record.”A lot of cash. Unlimited cash,” Trump said with a smile as he met United Arab Emirates Vice President and Manchester City football club owner Sheikh Mansour.  “Tough cookie,” he added of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has cracked down on critics.To Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni he was even more forthright: “She’s beautiful.”- ‘His triumph’ -In Israel, Trump’s curtain call was just as exuberant.He got a hero’s welcome from the Knesset, where lawmakers cheered and audience members wore red MAGA-style hats saying “Trump the Peace President”.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him the “greatest friend of Israel”. Two left-wing MPs briefly heckled Trump before being escorted out.Trump himself let no one forget that the deal is the high water mark so far of his turbulent second term in the White House.”I’ve been involved in a lot of success. I have never seen anything like what’s going on today,” the Republican said, adding that people were “dancing in the streets” about the deal.In a speech peppered with jokes that often veered off script, the former reality TV star even urged a pardon for Netanyahu over a corruption case, adding: “Cigars and some champagne — who the hell cares.”The rapturous reception on either side of the Sinai reflected the praise that the often-divisive Trump has received at home and abroad for the Gaza deal.Trump has been mocked for calling himself the “peacemaker-in-chief” while sending US troops into American cities. His dream of winning the Nobel Peace Prize has yet to come true.But given that every US president for the past 20 or more years has tried and failed to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, Trump’s achievement is already remarkable.The cover of the latest Time Magazine carried a picture of Trump with the words: “His Triumph.”- ‘Old feuds’ -Even political opponents in the United States have hailed Trump’s role in the Gaza deal, which saw the release of all living hostages held by Hamas shortly before his arrival.Democratic former president Bill Clinton said in a statement Monday that Trump and his administration “deserve great credit for keeping everyone engaged until the agreement was reached”.Jake Sullivan, who as Democrat Joe Biden’s adviser on national security handled the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that “I give credit to President Trump”. “The question is, can we make sure this sticks as we go forward?” he added.After his victory lap in Israel and Egypt, Trump must now run a marathon.Hamas’s refusal to disarm and Israel’s failure to pledge a full withdrawal from devastated Gaza are key, unresolved issues that could yet torpedo a longer-term deal.Trump appeared to be keenly aware of that as he urged politicians across the Middle East to seize the opportunity provided by the ceasefire to achieve lasting peace.”We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us,” Trump said in Sharm El-Sheikh.The leaders all signed a declaration on Gaza and applauded Trump.But as he boarded Air Force One to leave the Middle East behind, the region is likely far from done with Trump.

The United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey signed a declaration on Monday at a summit on Gaza as the guarantors of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending two years of war.US President Donald Trump lauded the summit — which he co-chaired with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi — as a “tremendous day” for the Middle East, while Sisi said the Gaza deal opened a “new era of peace and stability” for the region. Earlier on Monday, Trump gave a speech to Israel’s parliament following the return of 20 surviving hostages held by militants in Gaza. Israel freed nearly 2,000 mostly Palestinian detainees as part of the ceasefire agreement, with Hamas hailing their release as a “national milestone” in the Palestinian struggle.The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Monday that the death toll from the Israel-Hamas war had reached 67,869, as it continued recovering the bodies of those killed during the war. The United Nations considers its figures to be reliable.Here are the latest developments:- Gaza summit -World leaders at a summit in Egypt signed a declaration as the guarantors of a Gaza deal aimed at ending the war.”Together we have achieved what everybody said was impossible. At long last, we have peace in the Middle East,” Trump said in a speech in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.”This is a tremendous day for the world, it’s a tremendous day for the Middle East,” he said in the presence of more than two dozen heads of state, government and international organisations. Sisi said the Gaza deal “opens a new era of peace and stability” for the region and marked a “historic day” that set the stage for a two-state solution.He added that his country would host a conference on the reconstruction of Gaza.After the Egyptian presidency initially announced Benjamin Netanyahu’s expected attendance, the Israeli leader said he was unable to go because the summit coincided with a Jewish holiday. Three sources told AFP Netanyahu was forced into the rapid diplomatic about-face as some leaders at the summit balked at the prospect of having to rub shoulders with him.Hamas was not represented at the gathering, though Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, whose movement rivals Hamas, did attend.- Hostage-prisoner exchange -As part of Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war, Hamas on Monday freed the last 20 surviving hostages it held after two years of captivity in Gaza.In exchange, Israel released 1,968 mostly Palestinian prisoners held in its jails, its prison service said.Hamas hailed the release, calling it “an achievement that marks a bright national milestone in our ongoing struggle for freedom and liberation”. Israel confirmed all 20 living hostages had returned to the country, with a series of posts on X that read: “Welcome home”.Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas is also due to return the bodies of 27 hostages who died or were killed in captivity, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in 2014 during a previous Gaza conflict. The bodies of four Israeli hostages were handed over to the Red Cross by Hamas on Monday. Israel has said it does not expect all of the dead hostages to be returned the same day.- Trump speech -Trump visited Israel on Monday, where lawmakers greeted him with a standing ovation as he entered the Knesset, with Netanyahu calling him the “greatest friend” Israel has ever had in the White House.In his speech to parliament, Trump called the hostages’ release an “incredible triumph for Israel and the world”, paying credit to mediators from Arab and Muslim nations for pressuring Hamas.He also urged Palestinians to “turn forever from the path of terror” following the failure of “jihadism and antisemitism”, and vowed that the United States would “never forget” Hamas’s October 7 attack.”For so many families across this land, it has been years since you’ve known a single day of true peace,” he said.”Not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and for many others, the long and painful nightmare is finally over.”- Hamas post-war role -While the ceasefire and initial releases were welcomed by Israelis, Palestinians and others around the world, the coming phases in Trump’s plan for Gaza are likely to prove more complicated to implement.A Hamas source close to the group’s negotiating committee told AFP on Sunday that it would not participate in governing post-war Gaza.The source, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said the movement has “relinquished control of the Strip”, but stressed it “remains a fundamental part of the Palestinian fabric”.Another Hamas official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, earlier told AFP the militant group’s disarmament was “out of the question”.burs-amj/smw