Trump-Gaza latest: US president signs peace deal and withdraws Netanyahu’s invite amid Erdogan threat – UK Times

US president Donald Trump was forced to abort a last minute plan to include Israeli prime minister Benjamin in the summit in Egypt after Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to boycott the meeting.

In a mid-air power struggle, his plane circled over the Red Sea as Erdogan warned that his plane would land only after it becomes clear that Netanyahu would not arrive, reported local media citing sources.

Earlier, Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had also warned Egyptian and US officials that he would withdraw from the summit if Netanyahu attended, according to the state-run Iraqi News Agency.

It is unclear, if the threat from the world leaders forced Netanyahu to skip the summit.

A statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office said: “Prime Minister Netanyahu was invited by US President Trump to participate in a conference taking place today in Egypt. The prime minister thanked President Trump for his invitation but stated that he would not be able to attend due to the proximity of the event to the start of the holiday.”

Donald Trump called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East, saying that the region has “a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us”.

Speaking at a gathering of world leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh, he urged leaders “to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past”.

Israel and Hamas came under pressure from the United States, Arab countries and Turkey to agree on the first phase of the ceasefire deal negotiated in Qatar through mediators. It began Friday.

On Monday, Trump, el-Sissi, the Qatari emir and the Turkish president signed a document. Trump said the document spelled out “a lot of rules and regulations and lots of other things, and it’s very comprehensive”. The document was not shared with journalists in the room or made public.

The summit unfolded soon after Hamas released 20 remaining living Israeli hostages and Israel started to free hundreds of Palestinians from its prisons, crucial steps under the ceasefire. But major questions remain over what happens next, raising the risk of a slide back into war.

More than 20 world leaders attended the summit, including King Abdullah of Jordan, the French president and the British prime minister.

The Egyptian president told a summit of world leaders Monday that US president Donald Trump’s Mideast proposal represents the “last chance” for peace in the region and reiterated his call for a two-state solution, saying Palestinians have the right to an independent state.

The summit in Egypt’s Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh was aimed at supporting the ceasefire reached in Gaza, ending the Israel-Hamas war and developing a long-term vision for governing and rebuilding the devastated Palestinian territory.

The gathering appeared designed to rally international support behind the Trump vision for putting an end to the war.

Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, the co-chair of the summit, told Trump “only you” can bring peace to the region.

Trump’s plan holds out the possibility of a Palestinian state, but only after a lengthy transition period in Gaza and a reform process by the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes Palestinian independence. Trump made no mention of a two-state solution at the summit.

Donald Trump called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East, saying that the region has “a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us”.

He urged leaders “to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past.”

“From this moment forward, we can build a region strong and stable and prosperous and united in rejecting the path of terror once and for all. We want to get rid of the terror and get on to other things,” he said.

US president Donald Trump and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu are offering strikingly different perspectives about the prospects for future peace despite lavishing each other with praise during speeches before the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on Monday.

Mr Trump declared Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip over and declared the ceasefire would usher in a new “dawn of a new Middle East”.

But Mr Netanyahu has characterised the deal, which is still in its early stages, as “a proposal to free hostages and end the war”.

He also said his country used two years of often brutal war in Gaza to showcase its military might. He said: “Our enemies now understand just how powerful and just how determined Israel is.”

Former Democratic US President Bill Clinton has praised Donald Trump and his administration for their efforts in mediating a ceasefire agreement.

“President Trump and his administration, Qatar, and other regional actors deserve great credit for keeping everyone engaged until the agreement was reached,” he said in a statement.

“Now Israel and Hamas – with the support of the United States, the region, and the world – must try to turn this fragile moment into lasting peace that provides for the dignity and security of both Palestinians and Israelis.”