US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey sign ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas

The US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey signed a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas. The ceremony took place during the Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.

According to the document, the signatories pledged to work together to preserve the peace agreement in the Gaza Strip. However, the parties to the conflict were not among the participants. Hamas was represented by mediators, and Tel Aviv declined to participate due to a Jewish religious holiday. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and other European politicians were present, but, as Die Welt noted, they were merely spectators at the "peace summit."

As part of the peace deal, Hamas handed over 20 Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The movement also returned four of the 28 bodies of those killed. Israel, in turn, released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.