Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh arrives in Egypt for Gaza Peace Summit

"Arrived in the historic city of Cairo as special representative of Prime Minister @narendramodi to attend the Gaza Peace Summit at Sharm el-Sheikh," he wrote on X.

PM Modi welcomes Trump's Gaza peace plan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed US President Donald Trump's first phase of the Gaza peace plan, saying the truce deal also reflects Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "strong leadership".

The Prime Minister said on X, "We welcome the agreement on the first phase of President Trump's peace plan. This is also a reflection of the strong leadership of PM Netanyahu.

"We hope the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza will bring respite to them and pave the way for lasting peace."

Gaza war is over: Trump

US President Donald Trump on Sunday declared that the war in Gaza is “over,” as Israel and Hamas prepare to exchange hostages and prisoners under a US-brokered ceasefire deal.

Speaking to reporters ahead of his visit to Israel, Trump said he was confident the truce, which took effect days after the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, would hold.

“The war is over,” Trump told the media. “I think it’s going to hold.”

According to CNN, the agreement’s first phase will see the release of around 20 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, alongside nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israel.

Trump is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday and address the country's Parliament. He is also expected to meet families of the remaining hostages before traveling to Egypt for a high-level summit.

The summit, to be held in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, will be co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Leaders from around 20 nations are expected to attend to discuss Gaza’s post-war reconstruction and future governance.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who arrived in Egypt ahead of the summit, wrote on X: “I’m in Egypt, where I’ll meet with international leaders to mark the first crucial step towards peace in the Middle East. The UK stands ready to support rebuilding Gaza and will work with partners to secure a stable future for the region.”