Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, will represent the bloc at Monday’s Gaza ceasefire summit in Egypt’s city of Sharm el-Sheikh, a spokesperson said on Sunday.
The Middle East peace plan
“offers a real chance to build a just and sustainable peace, and the EU is fully committed to supporting these efforts and contributing to its implementation,”
the spokesperson said.
US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will lead an international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to discuss the US president’s proposal to end Israel’s war on Gaza.
What are the goals of the Sharm el-Sheikh summit?
It will seek
“to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability”,
the statement, said.
Which world leaders are attending the ceasefire summit?
According to a statement on Saturday from the Egyptian presidency, leaders from over 20 countries will participate in the meeting.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer said they would attend, along with Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Pedro Sanchez of Spain. French President Emmanuel Macron has also confirmed his attendance.
What developments are occurring regarding Trump’s proposal to bring an end to the Gaza conflict?
The last of the Israeli hostages being held in Gaza is expected to be freed Monday morning local time, shortly before a 72-hour deadline for their release elapses. Nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israel will also be released. A senior Hamas official told AFP that the group will start releasing Israeli hostages held in Gaza tomorrow morning.
Israel’s military states it has finished the initial stage of its pullback from Gaza following the ceasefire that was brokered by the US, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, which began on Friday morning.
Moreover, tens of thousands of Palestinians are returning to their homes in Gaza as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas moves into its third day. Many have found only ruins, while local authorities report that numerous bodies have been recovered from the rubble. Some aid is beginning to enter the area as per the agreement, though the extent of this aid is not yet clear.
What is the role of the EU in Gaza’s peace process?
The European Union plays a key role in the Gaza ceasefire and the peace process in 2025. The EU has welcomed and endorsed the ceasefire agreement for Gaza, calling it a genuine opportunity to bring to an end the devastating war and relieve the suffering of people in Gaza.
The EU advocates, to all sides, a complete and rapid implementation of the ceasefire agreement to have a sustainable ceasefire, to have hostages released, and to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and be distributed without delay.
