Egypt’s Sisi invites Trump to attend Gaza ceasefire deal signing in Egypt

CAIRO, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Thursday invited U.S. President Donald Trump to attend the signing of a Gaza ceasefire agreement in Egypt and urged that the deal be implemented without delay, the Egyptian presidency said. Sisi extended the invitation during talks in Cairo with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who helped broker the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas under the U.S.-backed 20-point peace plan. “I look forward to receiving President Trump in Egypt to witness the signing of this historic agreement in a celebration befitting the event,” Sisi said, while stressing the “critical urgency” of enforcing the truce immediately. At the White House, Trump said he hoped to attend the ceremony in Egypt and was willing to address Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, “if they would like me to.” The U.S.-backed peace plan calls for a ceasefire, a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The first phase of the deal, announced earlier on Thursday, drew support from the United Nations, the Arab League and other international bodies. Israel’s military campaign in Gaza over the past two years has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 170,000, according to Gaza health authorities, while devastating infrastructure and worsening already dire humanitarian conditions. Enditem