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Egypt confirms international leaders’ summit on Monday to discuss Gaza ceasefire – as it happened | Gaza

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Egypt confirms international peace summit

News just coming through that Egypt has confirmed it will host an international summit on Monday for foreign leaders to discuss “the agreement to end the war in Gaza”.

The meeting will take place in the picturesque Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, the Egyptian presidency has said moments ago, Reuters reports.

More than 20 world leaders will attend, including US president Donald Trump.

Key events

Summary

  • Israel has begun transferring prisoners to two jails ahead of their release as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, designed to lead to the release of hostages held by Hamas, the prison service said on Saturday. Thousands of staff, including prison officers, “operated throughout the night in order to implement the government’s decision”

  • Israel is expected to release about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving long sentences for serious security offences, in exchange for the remaining hostages in Gaza. A list Israel published on Friday did not include high-profile prisoner Marwan Barghouti. Netanyahu’s office has confirmed it refuses to release Barghouti.

  • Hamas’s disarmament as part of US president Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza is “out of the question”, a Hamas official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Saturday. “The proposed weapons handover is out of the question and not negotiable,” the official said. Trump has indicated the issue of Hamas surrendering its weapons would be addressed in the second phase of the peace plan.

  • Gaza’s civil defence agency said on Saturday more than 500,000 people had returned to Gaza City since a ceasefire took effect the previous day.

  • Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has congratulated Donald Trump on the Gaza ceasefire, according to an Axios correspondent.

  • US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, along with Ivanka Trump, addressed a rally in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. Witkoff said Israeli hostages held in Gaza were coming home.

  • Egypt has confirmed it will host an international summit on Monday for foreign leaders to discuss “the agreement to end the war in Gaza”. More than 20 world leaders will attend, including US president Donald Trump, British prime minister Keir Starmer, and French president Emmanuel Macron.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has begun scaling up its operations in Gaza, as the ceasefire paves the way for humanitarian agencies to resume operations in areas that have been cut off from vital aid in the war-torn territory.

“After two years of devastating conflict, hundreds of thousands of families remain displaced with food systems shattered, and access to basic necessities severely limited,” WFP said in a statement. “With full access, WFP intends to restore its regular food distribution system, scaling assistance through 145 distribution points across the Strip.”

It added that “over 170,000 metric tons of food” was ready for dispatch or on route, “via Ashdod, Egypt, Jordan, and the West Bank corridors.”

British prime minister Keir Starmer will travel to Egypt to attend the Sharm El Sheikh Peace Summit, where leaders are expected to sign a US-brokered peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza, his office said on Saturday.

The first phase of the plan is set to begin with the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners by Monday, marking what Britain called a “historic turning point” after two years of war.

The British leader would pay tribute to the role of US president Donald Trump and the diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey in brokering the deal, his office told Reuters.

He is expected to call for continued international coordination to implement the next phase, which includes deploying a ceasefire monitoring mission and establishing transitional governance in Gaza.

Starmer will reiterate Britain’s “steadfast support” to help secure the ceasefire and deliver humanitarian aid.

US president Donald Trump and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will chair over the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Egyptian presidency said on Saturday.

The meeting will take place on Monday afternoon “with the participation of leaders from more than twenty countries,” it said.

The meeting will aim “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”.

Security forces under Gaza’s Ministry of Interior have begun operations today to maintain safety and order following the implementation of the ceasefire in Deir al-Balah, Gaza.

Security units deployed in Gaza following ceasefire in Deir al-Balah, Gaza on October 11, 2025. The units have been taking precautions in the Nuseirat area in the central part of the Gaza Strip. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
Security units deployed in Gaza following ceasefire on October 11, 2025. The units have been taking precautions in the Nuseirat area in the central part of the Gaza Strip. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
Security units deployed in Gaza following ceasefire on October 11, 2025. The units have been taking precautions in the Nuseirat area in the central part of the Gaza Strip. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Egypt confirms international peace summit

News just coming through that Egypt has confirmed it will host an international summit on Monday for foreign leaders to discuss “the agreement to end the war in Gaza”.

The meeting will take place in the picturesque Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, the Egyptian presidency has said moments ago, Reuters reports.

More than 20 world leaders will attend, including US president Donald Trump.

Staying with Iran and diplomatic relations for a moment, there is another development.

Iran does not see “any reason” to resume nuclear talks with European countries over the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme, the AFP reported just now.

We truly do not see any reason to negotiate with them. What can they possibly do, and what positive outcome could such negotiations have?” said foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, referring to Britain, France and Germany, which said on Friday they would seek to restart stalled nuclear talks.

Late last month, widespread United Nations sanctions against Iran came back into force for the first time in a decade, prompting anger from Tehran, after last-ditch nuclear talks with western powers failed to produce a breakthrough.

The sanctions, which came into effect three months after Israel and the US bombed Iran, bar dealings related to Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missiles programme and are also expected to have wider effects on the country’s troubled economy.

Iran on Saturday said it has “no trust” that Israel will respect the terms of a Gaza ceasefire that began a day earlier, following two years of war.

“We warn about the tricks and betrayals of the Zionist regime regarding previous agreements … There is absolutely no trust in the Zionist regime,” said Iran foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, according to Agence France-Presse.

Araghchi pointed to previous ceasefires that have been violated, including in Lebanon.

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The World Cup qualifier between Norway and Israel in Oslo on Saturday was marked by protests and a heavy security response including the use of tear gas, with Norwegian fans divided over Israel’s participation in the tournament due to the war in Gaza.

Ahead of the game, hundreds of pro-Palestinian supporters gathered to protest outside the Norwegian parliament, with many wearing the jerseys of the Palestine national team.

Marching towards Ullevaal Stadium with Palestinian flags and flares, the protesters gathered outside, vowing to continue until kickoff as nearby buildings displayed pro-Palestinian banners hanging from balconies. Security was tight around the stadium, with police closing several entrances hours before the match started, conducting bag searches, and reducing the number of spectators allowed in.

Later, Norwegian police confirmed they had used tear gas on a group of protesters who attempted to breach the barricades surrounding the stadium as the match was being played, according to Reuters.

Police spray deterrent at pro-Palestinian protesters outside Ullevaal Stadium during the World Cup qualifying soccer between Norway and Israel, Saturday, 11 October, 2025, in Oslo, Norway. Photograph: Javad Parsa/AP
A protester suffers from tear gas during a demonstration outside the Ullevaal Stadium ahead of the World Cup qualifying match between Norway and Israel, in Oslo, Norway, 11 October 2025. Photograph: Javad Parsa/EPA
Fans of Norway hold up Palestine flags during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Norway and Israel at Ullevaal Stadion on 11 October, 2025 in Oslo, Norway. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

Here is a photo of the document laying out the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, obtained by the Associated Press. It is titled “Comprehensive End of Gaza War”.

The ‘Comprehensive End of Gaza War’ document, seen on Saturday, 11 October 2025. Photograph: AP
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Witkoff handed the microphone to Jared Kushner, who said he “couldn’t be prouder to be a friend of Israel”. He then called for lasting peace in the Middle East, and thanked the crowd for their efforts to bring the hostages home.

Next to take the microphone was Ivanka Trump, Kushner’s wife and Donald Trump’s daughter, who drew huge cheers upon the mention of her father’s name.

“God bless you all for standing in solidarity together through this dark chapter,” she said.

The trio then left the stage as the repeated cheers of “Thank you, Trump” rang out from the crowd.

Steve Witkoff, flanked by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, at Hostages Square on in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday. Photograph: Chris McGrath/Getty Images
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Witkoff said Israeli hostages held in Gaza were coming home, in a message directed at the captives during the rally.

“To the hostages themselves: you are coming home,” Witkoff said, prompting applause and cheers from thousands gathered at the Tel Aviv plaza known as Hostages Square.

Addressing the families of the hostages, he added: “Your courage has moved the world.”

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Crowds have gathered for what could be the last rally in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where Israelis have rallied in the thousands on Saturday night as they anticipate the release of captives held in Gaza.

Special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told the massive crowd that he had “dreamed of this night”.

“We stand here tonight, Jews, Christians, Muslims, and people from every corner of the world, united by one shared prayer, for peace,” he told the crowd.

The mention of Trump’s name also drew loud cheers from the crowd, while the mention of Netanyahu was met with boos.

At a rally in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday. Photograph: Emilio Morenatti/AP
Hostages Square on Saturday. Photograph: Aviv Atlas/Reuters
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Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visit Gaza Strip, according to Israeli military

The Israeli military said that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited the Gaza Strip on Saturday, as a ceasefire announced by Israel entered its second day.

Israel’s army chief lieutenant general Eyal Zamir conducted a field tour in Gaza with “US envoy to the Middle East, Mr Steven ’Steve’ Witkoff, Mr Jared Kushner, and the Commander of the United States Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper”, the Israeli military said in a statement.

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