Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit: Trump Brokers Israeli-Palestinian Ceasefire, but the Road to Peace Remains Facing Challenges

Leaders from over twenty countries gathered on Egypt's Red Sea coast for a carefully orchestrated diplomatic ceremony. The absence of key parties hinted at the long road ahead for peace between Israel and Palestine.

The Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit was held on October 13, 2025, in the Egyptian Red Sea coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh. Co-chaired by Egyptian President Sisi and US President Trump, the summit was attended by leaders from over 20 countries and international organizations, including UN Secretary-General Guterres, European leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, and leaders from Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

The summit's core outcome was the signing of a document supporting a ceasefire in Gaza. Trump declared before the summit that the "Gaza War is over."

01 Summit Background and Key Participants

The Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit was held two years after the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Since Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 67,000 Palestinians, the injuries of over 170,000, and the near-destruction of infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.

Trump played a central role in facilitating this summit. According to the itinerary disclosed by the US, Trump plans to fly to Israel on the morning of the 13th, deliver a speech in the Israeli Knesset, and meet with the families of the hostages. On the 14th, he will travel to Egypt for a signing ceremony "declaring the end of the Gaza War," and then attend the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit.

The summit agenda focuses on three areas: security, governance, and humanitarian assistance. On the security front, discussions will focus on establishing a peacekeeping force in Gaza; on the governance front, the establishment of a Palestinian council will be discussed; and on the humanitarian front, the focus will be on immediate reconstruction and increased aid for Gaza.

Notably, none of the major parties to the conflict attended. Both Hamas and Israel have stated that they will not attend the summit. This absence means that the summit will not sign the "ceasefire agreement" itself, but rather the "Document in Support of the Gaza Ceasefire" signed by the relevant mediators and guarantor states.

02 Trump's "20-Point Plan" and Diplomatic Strategy

The Trump administration's "20-Point Plan" was the core content of the summit. It included deradicalization, reconstruction and development in Gaza, the exchange of detainees, and the administration of Gaza by a technocratic Palestinian Transitional Governing Council.

The plan stated that if both sides agreed to the proposal, the war would end immediately, and the Israeli army would withdraw to the agreed-upon border. All hostages would be released within 72 hours of Israel's public acceptance of the plan; once all hostages were released, Israel would release 250 Palestinian detainees serving life sentences.

Trump's Middle East trip was characterized by a distinctly personal diplomatic style. In Tel Aviv, Trump received a hero's welcome, with posters featuring his portrait and the words "Cyrus the Great Reborn" appearing on the streets.

Niu Xinchun, Dean of the Institute of Chinese-Arab Countries Studies at Ningxia University, pointed out that one of the core goals of the summit was to make it a "celebration" for Trump, showcasing his personal achievements.

03 Regional and International Reactions

Arab countries played a significant role in the summit. Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, acting as mediators, signed a document in support. These countries played an active role in promoting the ceasefire agreement and will continue to play a mediating role at the summit.

European countries expressed cautious support. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister James Starmer represented Europe's concern for stability in the Middle East. French Foreign Minister Joseph Barrot, after meeting with foreign ministers from Europe and the Middle East, expressed concern: "A ceasefire does not mean lasting peace."

Iran was invited but did not respond and ultimately did not attend the summit. The absence or limited participation of key regional stakeholders exposed the summit's representative limitations.

The Palestinian National Authority's presence was merely symbolic. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated before the summit that Hamas had demonstrated a more constructive stance than Israel.

04 Challenges in Achieving Lasting Peace

The disarmament of Hamas became a key point of disagreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that "Hamas must disarm, whether through peaceful or military means."

Hamas has categorically refused to disarm. Its political bureau member, Badran, stated, "The proposed surrender of weapons is absolutely impossible, and there is no room for negotiation."

Post-war governance in Gaza presents another major challenge. Trump's "20-point plan" proposes that Gaza be governed by a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian Transitional Governing Council. However, Hamas explicitly opposes any foreign military deployment to the Gaza Strip and its exclusion from any power arrangements.

Reconstruction in Gaza faces enormous challenges. 78% of the buildings in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed, and almost no industry remains. The prolonged war has led to extreme shortages of food, drinking water, and medicine in Gaza, leading the United Nations to declare a state of famine in August.

05 The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process in the Global Geopolitical Landscape

The Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit reflects the United States' ongoing but evolving role in Middle Eastern affairs. The Trump administration has adopted a transactional foreign policy, using pressure and a sense of urgency to push for an agreement.

Compared to the Oslo Accords, the new peace vision seeks to be more pragmatic: achieving governance and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip, clearing out the militants who once controlled the area, and forcing Israelis and Palestinians to recognize that coexistence brings benefits rather than mutual destruction.

Changes in the regional landscape have created new conditions for peace. The 2020 Abraham Accords have laid the foundation for normalizing relations between Israel and Arab states. Saudi Arabia, a key US ally, has made the establishment of a Palestinian state a condition for normalizing relations with Israel, providing new leverage in the peace process.

The deployment of an international stabilization force remains an urgent issue. Although the United States plans to work with Arab states and international partners to establish a temporary international stabilization force and immediately deploy it to Gaza, the force's personnel composition, funding, and command structure remain undetermined.

After the peace summit, Gazans began returning to their homes, only to find themselves faced with the devastation of war. A resident who returned to Gaza City found her house completely destroyed. Standing before the rubble, she wept bitterly, "Everything has turned to dust now."

In European cities like London, Berlin, and Vienna, large-scale pro-Palestinian demonstrations erupted, expressing doubts about the sustainability of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

History shows that ceasefire agreements require clear, credible, and non-formal international oversight; otherwise, they will quickly collapse. The Sharm el-Sheikh summit is the beginning of the peace process, not its end. The road to lasting peace between the Palestinians and Israelis remains fraught with obstacles.