After months of relentless conflict, the first real signs of reconciliation in Gaza have emerged — and Washington is moving swiftly to seize the diplomatic moment. U.S. President Donald Trump is traveling to Israel and Egypt this week following a hard-won 72-hour ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The goal: to convene a high-level summit in Sharm el-Sheikh that could define Gaza’s political and humanitarian future.
Accompanied by his close advisors Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Trump aims to cement what the White House describes as a “pathway to lasting stability.” Leaders from Europe and the Arab world — including Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, and Turkey — have been invited to participate. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will chair the summit, while Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to confirm attendance amid intense domestic pressures.
For Washington, this meeting represents more than symbolic diplomacy. It is the second major initiative under the Trump administration’s peace plan and an attempt to legitimize an American-led reconstruction framework for Gaza. The proposed roadmap includes security guarantees, rapid rebuilding programs, and a temporary coordination center operated by around 200 U.S. military personnel now stationed in Israel. Their mission: to supervise aid delivery and prevent renewed violence.
The political stakes are enormous. Hamas and Israel have begun exchanging hostages and prisoners, signaling cautious trust-building. Yet Prime Minister Netanyahu warned Israelis that not all hostages’ bodies can be returned — a painful reminder of the human cost of war. Meanwhile, thousands of displaced Palestinians have started returning to Gaza City, scenes that have captured global attention and raised expectations for real peace.
Still, enormous challenges remain: stabilizing governance, ensuring humanitarian aid reaches civilians, and preventing extremist resurgence. For Trump, success in Gaza could mark the most consequential diplomatic achievement of his presidency — or another fragile truce destined to unravel under the weight of mistrust and history.
