In a dramatic turn for Middle East diplomacy, Israel and Hamas have reached a landmark ceasefire agreement, sparking a wave of cautious optimism across the globe. The deal, brokered overnight on October 9, 2025, in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, marks the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan and promises the release of all remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, governance of the territory by a transitional committee, and a comprehensive effort to rebuild the war-ravaged region.
The announcement comes against a backdrop of staggering human cost. According to figures cited by international rights groups and echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron, more than 67,000 people—mostly women and children—have lost their lives in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, Hamas incursion that triggered Israel’s massive military response. The humanitarian catastrophe that followed has fueled outrage, protests, and mounting political pressure in capitals from Europe to the Middle East and beyond.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who just weeks earlier spearheaded a push for international recognition of a Palestinian state, described the ceasefire as a “great hope” for the region but didn’t mince words about the obstacles ahead. Presiding over a hastily convened summit in Paris just hours after the deal was announced, Macron warned that Israel’s ongoing expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank poses “an existential threat” to the prospect of a Palestinian state. He declared, “It is not only unacceptable and contrary to international law, but fuels tensions, violence, and instability. It fundamentally contradicts the American plan and our collective ambition for a peaceful region.”
The Paris summit brought together top diplomats from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and the European Union. Their agenda was ambitious: not only to celebrate the ceasefire, but to discuss the deployment of an International Stabilization Force (a key element of Trump’s peace plan) and to shore up support for the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank.
Yet, the international show of unity was far from seamless. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar lashed out at the Paris meeting, calling it “unnecessary and harmful” and accusing France of concocting it “behind Israel’s back” at a delicate moment in the negotiations. The gathering has further strained French-Israeli relations, already tense in the wake of Macron’s September 22 recognition of a Palestinian state—a move that followed similar declarations by Canada, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, but which Germany and several other European countries have pointedly refused to endorse.
Despite the diplomatic friction, the ceasefire deal itself has been widely welcomed as a desperately needed breakthrough. Leaders across Europe hailed the agreement and urged all parties to fully implement its terms. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called it “wonderful news” and “a unique opportunity to end this conflict that must absolutely be seized.” Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, even signaled his country’s willingness to contribute peacekeeping troops if necessary.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer struck a note of relief, saying the deal would bring “profound relief that will be felt around the world but particularly for the hostages, their families and the civilian population of Gaza, who have all endured unimaginable suffering over the last two years.” He called for the immediate implementation of the agreement and the swift removal of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Other European leaders echoed the sentiment. Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Dick Schoof described the agreement as “a step towards a just and lasting peace,” while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez—one of Europe’s most vocal critics of Israel’s military campaign—said the deal “may be the beginning of a lasting and just peace.” Sánchez added, “Now is the time to engage in dialogue, assist the civilian population and look to the future. With hope. But also with justice and with memory. So that the atrocities experienced are never repeated again.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged the EU’s continued support for the “swift and safe delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza” and said the bloc “will be ready to help with recovery and reconstruction.” Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin pressed for “an immediate surge of humanitarian aid to the people of Palestine.”
Outside of Europe, the deal has drawn praise from a diverse array of world leaders. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın played a direct role in the negotiations, offered “special thanks” to President Trump and vowed that Turkey would “closely monitor” the ceasefire’s implementation while continuing to support the Palestinian cause. Erdoğan’s cooperation is widely seen as a bid to persuade Washington to lift its ban on the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Ankara—a move Trump recently suggested would depend on Turkey’s actions.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, whose country hosted the talks, described the agreement as “the triumph of the will for peace over the logic of war,” and emphasized that “from Sharm el-Sheikh—the land of peace, dialogue and reconciliation—a cease-fire and an end to the war in Gaza have been achieved after two years of suffering, under the peace plan proposed by President Trump and sponsored by Egypt, Qatar and the United States.”
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi praised the “intense mediation efforts” led by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, and thanked Turkey for its involvement. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the agreement and urged the full implementation of Trump’s peace plan, aiming to “end the war and pave the way for a comprehensive and just peace.” Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun expressed hope that the deal “represents a first step toward a permanent ceasefire.”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres thanked Trump and the mediating nations, calling the accord “a desperately needed breakthrough.” He urged both sides to seize the opportunity to “establish a credible political path forward towards ending the occupation, recognizing the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and achieving a two-State solution that enables Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security.”
Support for the ceasefire has also come from leaders in China, Pakistan, India, Russia, and Argentina—where President Javier Milei, known for his strong affinity for Israel, hailed the “historic peace agreement” and called for Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. “Any other leader with such achievements would have received it long ago,” Milei argued.
Despite the outpouring of international support, significant challenges remain. Macron and other leaders have warned that continued Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank threatens to derail hopes for a two-state solution. Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul reiterated Berlin’s reservations about recognizing a Palestinian state at this stage, underscoring the divisions within Europe over the path forward.
As the dust settles on this latest diplomatic milestone, the world is watching closely. The ceasefire represents a rare moment of hope in a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and defied resolution for generations. Whether this agreement will truly open the door to a lasting peace remains to be seen—but for now, the peoples of Israel, Gaza, and the wider region are daring to hope again.