US President Donald Trump presides over the Gaza Peace Summit. Reuters=Yonhap News. 

US President Donald Trump announced on the 13th (local time) that "peace has finally come to the Middle East."

He made this statement in a speech at the Gaza Peace Summit held in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, saying, "We have achieved together what everyone said was impossible," AFP reported.

President Trump referred to the first phase of the ceasefire agreed upon by Israel and Hamas, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and Turkey, in accordance with his peace initiative for the Gaza Strip. He introduced it by saying, "I heard them say it was the biggest deal that would never happen."

He emphasized, "Many people warned that the escalation of the Middle East conflict could eventually lead to a Third World War. However, that will not happen."

Prior to this speech, President Trump, along with the leaders of the ceasefire mediating countries, including President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, signed the 'Gaza Peace Declaration' to lay the foundation for the future of the Gaza Strip.

Although the copy was not released, it is believed to contain the contents of the Gaza peace initiative, which consists of 20 articles, including a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Leaders of ceasefire mediating countries sign the Gaza Peace Declaration.
 UPI=Yonhap News.

The hastily convened meeting was attended by 34 world leaders, including heads of state from some 20 major countries such as the UK, France, and Italy, as well as UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Chairman of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Mahmoud Abbas, who expressed their support for the Gaza ceasefire and peace initiative.

President Trump also expressed his gratitude to the leaders of the attending countries, saying, "It is unusual for leaders from the world's strongest and wealthiest nations to be seated so far back," referring to the leaders present at the signing ceremony of the Gaza Peace Declaration.

Representatives from Israel and Hamas, the parties to the ceasefire agreement, did not attend. Iran, despite receiving an official invitation, did not send a delegation.

Meanwhile, the meeting, co-hosted by President el-Sisi, was delayed by about three hours because President Trump's earlier speech to the Israeli Knesset (parliament) ran longer than expected.

In a meeting with President Trump prior to the summit, President el-Sisi praised him, saying, "I was convinced that you were the only one who could end this war," and "You are the only one who can bring peace to the region." He also presented President Trump with Egypt's highest civilian decoration on this day.

US President Donald Trump delivers a speech at the Gaza Peace Summit. AP=Yonhap News. 

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