US proposal last chance for peace in region: Egypt president

SHARM AL SHEIKH: Egyptian president told a summit of world leaders on Monday that US President Trump’s Mideast proposal represents the “last chance” for peace in the region and reiterated his call for a two-state solution, saying Palestinians have the right to an independent state.

The summit in Egypt’s Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh was aimed at supporting the ceasefire reached in Gaza, ending the Israel-Hamas war and developing a long-term vision for governing and rebuilding the devastated Palestinian territory.

Trump’s plan holds out the possibility of a Palestinian state, but only after a lengthy transition period in Gaza and a reform process by the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu opposes Palestinian independence.

In his speech, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sissi also also awarded Trump the Order of the Nile, the country’s highest civilian honor. El-Sissi’s office said the summit aimed to “end the war” in Gaza and “usher in a new page of peace and regional stability” in line with Trump’s vision.

The peace summit unfolded soon after Hamas released 20 remaining living Israeli hostages and Israel started to free hundreds of Palestinians from its prisons, crucial steps under the ceasefire agreement.

More than 20 world leaders attended the summit, including King Abdullah of Jordan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the French president and the UK prime minister.