TIME hails Trump’s Gaza peace deal as a “landmark achievement” - turning point for Middle East

In what international observers are calling a historic diplomatic breakthrough, U.S. President Donald Trump has forged a two-phase agreement to end the long-running conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas. The deal, ratified this week by both sides, is being hailed as one of the most significant foreign policy achievements of Trump’s second term.

TIME magazine announced it will feature Trump on its upcoming cover, under the headline “His Triumph,” calling the accord “a landmark achievement of Trump’s second term” that could “mark a strategic turning point for the Middle East.”

From Washington to Cairo: A Deal Years in the Making

The agreement follows months of intensive diplomacy led by Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who reportedly advanced negotiations behind the scenes since January. White House officials said Trump personally exerted heavy pressure to finalize the deal, especially during recent meetings held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

After a widely praised address to the Israeli Knesset, President Trump flew to Egypt to participate in a high-level summit alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. There, the leaders signed a document that Trump said would “form the basis for the future of Gaza,” though details have not yet been made public.

The summit nearly hit a snag when Erdogan briefly threatened to cancel his attendance after hearing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might join. The crisis was averted when reports confirmed Netanyahu would not attend.

During the event, el-Sisi praised Trump’s proposal as the region’s “last chance for peace,” reiterating Egypt’s support for a two-state solution and awarding Trump the Order of the Nile, Egypt’s highest civilian honor.

A Rare Trump-Abbas Meeting 

In a symbolic moment, Trump met with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas — their first encounter since 2007. Trump had previously barred Abbas from entering the U.S. during his first term. The two leaders shook hands and posed for a photograph, marking what many called a potential thaw in U.S.-Palestinian relations.

Trump seized on the momentum, urging leaders to embrace “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put our old conflicts and bitter hatreds behind us.” He added:

“Reconstruction may be the easy part — we know how to build better than anyone in the world.”

A Global Gathering in Sharm el-Sheikh

Over 30 world leaders attended the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Indonesian President Prabodh Subianto.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and FIFA President Gianni Infantino were also present. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif took the stage to praise Trump as “the truest and most wonderful candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.”

In a lighter moment, Erdogan was overheard advising Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to quit smoking, while Trump jokingly asked Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, “What happened, Norway?” — a remark seen as a reference to his elusive Nobel Peace Prize.

After the Applause

Following the signing ceremony, Trump boarded Air Force One and returned to Washington. White House aides described the event as “the culmination of relentless personal diplomacy” — and possibly the beginning of a new chapter in Middle East relations.