A global (and crucial) meeting in Egypt to achieve a definitive ceasefire in Gaza

BeirutThe Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh becomes the epicenter of negotiations on Gaza today. Taking advantage of the signing of Trump's peace plan,Regional and international leaders are meeting this Monday with the aim of transforming the current fragile humanitarian pause into a lasting and definitive ceasefire. that allows for the beginning of a broader political process. The summit coincides with the expected release of the remaining Israeli hostages in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Trump, a gesture that adds drama and urgency to the summit. Egypt is no stranger to the role of mediator, but the current context is more complex than ever: the conflict has altered alliances, increased regional tensions, and once again placed the Palestinian issue at the center of the international agenda.

Key players are participating in the summit. Egypt, the host and historical mediator between Israel and Hamas, aims to strengthen its position as a diplomatic bridge. Qatar, with influence over Hamas and financial capacity, attends with the intention of guaranteeing the continuity of humanitarian aid and exploring possible prisoner exchange agreements. Jordan and Saudi Arabia demand political guarantees for the Palestinians, and warn that any agreement without a political perspective would only serve to consolidate thestatus quoThe United Nations and the European Union provide an international presence, albeit limited by the influence of regional powers. And the President of the United States, Donald Trump, will be one of the main protagonists., who will present himself to the world and the region as the true architect of the agreement.

Israel arrives at the meeting under intense internal and external pressure. After months of military offensives and widespread destruction, its government is divided over the future of Gaza: some advocate for prolonged direct administration, while others prefer civilian management with international oversight. The meeting in Sharm al-Sheikh offers a space to calibrate positions and explore possible compromises, although without great expectations of immediate progress.

For the Arab countries, the summit also represents a delicate political test. None wants to appear complicit in the Israeli strategy, but all are aware that without regional coordination it will be impossible to sustain a stable ceasefire. Saudi Arabia is watching the situation cautiously: its process of opening up to normalization with Israel, which had made progress before the war, has been frozen, and any future movement will depend on concrete steps toward a political solution for the Palestinians. Jordan, directly affected by the humanitarian and security repercussions, insists on avoiding further mass population displacement. Other Gulf states prioritize stability and economic recovery, but are careful not to assume immediate political costs.

Trump's visit introduces a significant geopolitical component. Despite having consistently supported Israel since the beginning of the conflict, he had so far avoided direct involvement in mediation. With this summit, the White House seeks to claim a leading role in the Middle East and demonstrate that it can achieve concrete results where other administrations have failed. But the memory of his first term—the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the cuts in funding to UNRWA, and the normalization of relations between Israel and several Arab countries without progress for Palestine—generates suspicion in broad sectors of the Arab world. His role as "mediator" generates caution, and his trip is limited to Egypt.

Cairo, for its part, faces its own challenge. The Rafah border crossing has become a vital corridor for the entry of aid and the exit of the wounded. Egyptian authorities are combining diplomatic pressure with supply control in an attempt to strengthen their international legitimacy and consolidate their regional influence at a time of severe economic hardship and heavy dependence on Gulf financial support.

A big unknown

The big question is whether the summit can go beyond mere humanitarian management. Previous truces have shown that ceasefires can temporarily alleviate the crisis, but they fail to address the structural causes of the conflict or establish stable monitoring mechanisms. Palestinian fragmentation and distrust between the parties hinder any real progress. While Arab countries seek to avoid a regional escalation, the United States seeks a diplomatic victory that will reinforce its image as a global leader, and Egypt aspires to consolidate its role as an essential mediator.

There are no guarantees that a historic agreement will emerge from Cairo. But the simple fact that so many actors with such disparate interests are sitting at the same table indicates that, for the first time in months, a political space is opening up—albeit limited, fragile, and highly conditioned—to explore possible negotiated solutions. The challenge will be to transform these shared interests into lasting commitments. In other words: to move from the truce to a peace that, although distant, is beginning to appear on the horizon.