Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Monday said Trump’s Mideast peace proposal represents the “last chance” for peace in the region. El-Sissi, who hosted leaders from around the world at Sharm el-Sheikh for the Gaza ceasefire deal signing, also reiterated his call for a two-state solution, saying the Palestinians have the right to an independent state alongside Israel. President Donald Trump meets with Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) What Trump plan says about Palestinian statehood While there has been a growing international recognition of the state of Palestine, Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have long opposed the idea. Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace deal also failed to address the topic of Palestinian statehood properly. But it acknowledges the possibility of a future Palestinian state, saying that only after reform to the Palestinian Authority and Gaza reconstruction will there be “a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognise as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.” Trump awarded Order of the Nile During his speech, el-Sissi also announced that Trump would be awarded the Order of the Nile, Egypt’s highest civilian honor. Trump, who spoke after el-Sissi, thanked the Egyptian leader for awarding him the country’s highest civilian honour, and also acknowledged the role of Egypt and Qatar as mediators in securing the ceasefire deal. President Donald Trump signs documents during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Rebuilding Gaza easier than ceasefire deal: Trump After two years of war in which Gaza’s infrastructure has been left in shambles, the Palestinian enclave has the long and difficult task of rebuilding. But, on Monday, Trump said rebuilding Gaza would be easier than the efforts it took to secure the ceasefire deal. “Rebuilding is maybe going to be the easiest part. We know how to build better than anybody in the world,” Trump said. 'Gaza should be demilitarised before rebuilding' The US President, however, stressed one of the most contentious proposals in his 20-point plan to make rebuilding Gaza a reality - disarming Hamas and the demilitarisation of Gaza. “Gaza’s reconstruction also requires that it be demilitarised and that a new, honest police force … be allowed to create a safe condition for the people,” Trump said. As Gaza takes the first steps towards a new future, several world leaders have committed to helping the war-ravaged enclave, which had a population of 2.1 million, to rebuild. President Donald Trump delivers a speech at the Gaza Peace Summit at the Gaza International Peace Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Oct.13 2025. (Yoan Valat, Pool photo via AP) Gaza International Peace Summit The Gaza peace summit in Egypt was attended by Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, the European Union, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, UN Secretary General António Guterres, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair were also present at the event.
