US President Donald Trump on Monday hailed a “tremendous day for the Middle East” as he and regional leaders signed a declaration meant to cement a ceasefire in Gaza, hours after Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages and prisoners.

At a summit hosted at the Egyptian beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and attended by more than two dozen world leaders, Trump and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye signed the declaration as guarantors to the ceasefire deal. The deal came days after the world marked the two-year anniversary of Israel’s military campaign in the Palestinian enclave which has claimed more than 67,000 lives.

At the opening of the summit, Trump signed a document with Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye’s leaders welcoming the agreements on Gaza and pledging to “work collectively to implement and sustain this legacy”.

Here are five noteworthy moments from the press conference held after the signing of the peace declaration.

Display of Pak-US camaraderie and the ‘favourite’

In his remarks, the US president especially mentioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Thanking several world leaders, Trump also did the same for Pakistan, saying: “Prime Minister Sharif of Pakistan, and also I have to say my favourite Field Marshal from Pakistan, who is not here, but the prime minister is here and you are gonna give him his regards.

“Where are you?” he asked as he turned around to look at the world leaders gathered in the back. Noticing PM Shehbaz in the back, Trump then called him forward and asked him to say a few words.

Trump, Egypt President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and PM Shehbaz were the only three leaders who spoke at the presser. For his part, the premier took the opportunity to again nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

“I genuinely feel he is the most genuine and the most wonderful candidate for the peace prize because he has not only brought peace in South Asia, saved millions of people, their lives, and today, here in Sharm el-Sheikh, achieved peace in Gaza and saved millions of lives in the Middle East,” he said as the US president loomed over his shoulder.

Retaking the podium, Trump quipped: “Wow! I didn’t expect that. Let’s go home, there’s nothing more I have to say. Goodbye everybody. That was really beautiful and beautifully delivered, thank you very much.”

Later, the US president also talked about India, saying it was a “great country with a very good friend of mine at the top”.

“He’s just done a fantastic job and I think Pakistan and India are going to live very nicely together. Right?” he asked, turning around to look at PM Shehbaz, who then proceeded to laugh with the US president.

‘Beautiful’ Italian PM Meloni

The Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal he helped broker had put Trump in a notably good mood, as he joked with presidents and prime ministers in his usual close-to-the-bone style.

“They have very little crime,” he said admiringly as he met co-host President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, whose country is regularly criticised for its rights record.

“A lot of cash. Unlimited cash,” Trump said with a smile as he met United Arab Emirates Vice President and Manchester City football club owner Sheikh Mansour.

“Tough cookie,” he added of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has cracked down on critics.

But during the the press conference, he was even more forthright.

“She’s beautiful,“ he said about Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The three-times-married 79-year-old admitted that he risked being accused of sexism with the comments about hard-right leader Meloni, who was standing behind him on the podium during the press conference.

“I’m not allowed to say it because usually it’s the end of your political career if you say it — she’s a beautiful young woman,” Trump said in the middle of a speech about his peace efforts for the Middle East.

“If you use the word ‘beautiful’ in the United States about a woman, that’s the end of your political career, but I’ll take my chances.”

Turning round to address the 48-year-old, Trump said: “You don’t mind being called beautiful, right? Because you are.”

Meloni’s immediate reaction could not be seen, as Trump’s back was between her and the cameras. Trump went on to call Meloni, an ideological ally when it comes to immigration and cultural issues, “incredible”.

“And they really respect her in Italy. She’s a very successful politician,” he added. Meloni was the only woman among around 30 leaders gathered on the stage behind Trump for the summit.

Apparent awkwardness with UK’s Starmer

Running down a list of countries he wanted to thank during the press conference, Trump also talked about the United Kingdom.

“United Kingdom. Where’s the United Kingdom?” he asked, turning around to look at the leaders gathered behind him. Britain Prime Minister Keir Starmer then raised his hand, to which Trump told him to “come here”.

“Is everything going good?” Trump asked Starmer, who had stepped forward to shake his hand. But the US president did not ask Starmer to speak, like he had asked PM Shehbaz, and turned back to the podium to continue his remarks while Starmer shuffled back into line.

Israel PM Netanyahu’s absence

The summit itself was attended by more than two dozen world leaders, including Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and representatives of Hamas were absent.

But there appears to be some controversy surrounding the absence of Israel’s leader. Netanyahu’s office had stated he would not attend the summit after Cairo had earlier announced he would take part, a prospect that could have been awkward for some confirmed guests.

In a statement, Netanyahu’s office said he had been invited by Trump to participate but declined “due to the timing’s proximity to the beginning of (a Jewish) holiday”.

“The prime minister thanked President Trump for his invitation and for his efforts to expand the circle of peace peace through strength,” the statement said.

A Turkish official told Reuters that Turkiye President Tayyip Erdogan, with the support of some other unspecified leaders, pushed back diplomatically against the idea of Netanyahu attending. Netanyahu’s office did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the issue.

FIFA’s presence

Meanwhile, in a strange turn of events, it emerged that FIFA President Gianni Infantino was also a part of the summit in Egypt and was standing alongside world leaders during the press conference held after the signing of the document.

Trump also mentioned Infantino in his remarks. While thanking Norway and looking for its leader behind him, Trump spotted Infantino standing at the far end and said: “Well we have Gianni. We’re going to the World Cup, I can tell you that.”

Inside FIFA, the official site of the international governing body, reported that Infantino stressed the significance of the day in remarks after the document was signed.

“Well, when you speak about a historic day, this definitely was and is a historic day,” Infantino was quoted as saying.

“A historic day for the Middle East, a historic day for the world, a historic day for peace. A new beginning, as President Trump said, a new dawn for the whole region, for the entire world. It’s something that is really important for FIFA to be here to support, to help, to assist, to put ourselves at disposal for whatever we can do to make sure that this peace process comes to fruition and to the best possible end,“ he said.

Header image: US President Donald Trump delivers a speech during the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, on October 13. — AFP