ISTANBUL

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi renewed his invitation to US President Donald Trump on Thursday to attend the signing of a Gaza ceasefire agreement between Palestinians and Israel.

During a meeting at the Ittihadiya Palace with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner, Sisi “welcomed the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the strenuous efforts of President Trump in this regard,” a presidency statement said.

Sisi told the US delegation that Egypt looks forward to signing the agreement “as soon as possible,” emphasizing Cairo’s commitment to continued coordination with the US to implement Trump’s Gaza plan.

Sisi stressed the need for an “immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza” without waiting for the formal signing of the deal.

On Wednesday, the Egyptian president invited his American counterpart to attend the signing ceremony of the ceasefire deal. Trump said he may visit the Middle East this weekend.

Sisi also praised Turkish, US, and Qatari mediation efforts that supported Egypt’s role in the Sharm el-Sheikh ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

He pledged that Egypt will continue working with all parties “with sincerity and responsibility” to enforce the ceasefire, ensure the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid, and secure the release of hostages and detainees.

Witkoff and Kushner, for their part, reiterated US appreciation for Egypt’s “pivotal role” in helping end the war and restore regional stability, the statement said.

Sisi concluded the meeting by reiterating his “aspiration to receive President Trump in Egypt to witness the signing of this historic agreement in a ceremony befitting the occasion.”

Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Egypt’s Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday to join the Gaza ceasefire negotiations.

The agreement was announced at dawn on Thursday following four days of indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel in Sharm el-Sheikh, with mediation from Türkiye, Egypt, Qatar, and the US.

On Sept. 29, Trump unveiled a 20-point ceasefire plan for Gaza that includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire, and a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the entire Gaza Strip.

A second phase of the plan calls for the establishment of a new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas’ participation, the formation of a security force comprising Palestinians and troops from Arab and Islamic countries, and the disarmament of Hamas. It also stipulates Arab and Islamic funding for the new administration and the reconstruction of the Strip, with limited participation from the Palestinian Authority.

Arab and Muslim countries have welcomed the plan, but some officials have also said that many details in it need discussion and negotiations to be fully implemented.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable.