Egypt: A brief yet awkward moment unfolded at the Global Summit on Gaza’s Future in Egypt on Monday, October 13, when Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif prematurely stepped onto the stage while US President Donald Trump was still delivering his speech at the Sharm el-Sheikh peace declaration ceremony.
The summit marked the formal signing of the Gaza peace declaration between the United States, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and other participating nations.
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Sharif’s Praise for Trump Sparks Mixed Reactions
Earlier at the same summit, Sharif publicly praised President Trump, crediting him with preventing a potential nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan and for his efforts in brokering the Gaza ceasefire. The Pakistani leader went a step further, nominating Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize and calling him “a man of peace.”
However, the reaction in the conference hall told a different story. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was seen covering her mouth and appearing to suppress laughter as Sharif spoke, a reaction that became one of the most circulated moments from the event.
Ceasefire Implementation in Gaza
The summit also focused on implementing the newly announced Gaza ceasefire, which took effect last Friday after three days of talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United States. According to Axios, invitations were extended to multiple nations including India, Spain, Japan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Hungary, and Canada, while Iran was also invited. Israel did not take part in the discussions.
The ceasefire’s first phase includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops from key areas in Gaza, the release of hostages and prisoners, and the reopening of five humanitarian crossings. The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is expected to reopen by mid-next week to facilitate limited civilian movement.
