Trump Announces Second Phase of Gaza Ceasefire Plan Underway

US President Donald Trump has announced the initiation of the second phase of his Gaza ceasefire agreement, signaling advancement in the Middle East peace process during a high-profile summit in Egypt. Speaking to reporters in Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday, Trump confirmed the transition to the next stage of the diplomatic arrangement despite acknowledging some overlap between implementation phases.

The American leader made the declaration while attending what the White House terms a "Middle East Peace Ceremony," hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Trump highlighted the participation of regional power brokers, noting that "the wealthiest nations in the world, all leaders, the emirs and the kings and everybody" were present to support Gaza's reconstruction efforts. He expressed confidence that these developments would produce "tremendous progress both in the Middle East."

The second phase commencement follows Friday's activation of the initial ceasefire stage, which ended two years of Israeli military operations in Gaza. Monday also witnessed the completion of prisoner exchanges between Hamas and Israel, with hundreds of Palestinian detainees released from Israeli facilities and all remaining living Israeli hostages freed from Gaza. Egyptian officials described the summit's objective as conclusively ending the Gaza conflict and establishing conditions for regional stability and security.

President Trump additionally addressed ongoing efforts to locate the remains of hostages who died during captivity, indicating coordinated search operations with Israeli authorities in identified areas. The diplomatic progress occurs against the backdrop of extensive military operations since October 2023 that resulted in substantial Palestinian casualties and widespread destruction throughout the Gaza territory, creating significant humanitarian challenges ahead of the reconstruction phase.