Egyptian president says Trump's Mideast proposal is 'last chance' for peace in the region

SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — The Egyptian president told a summit of world leaders Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump’sMideast proposal represents the “last chance” for peace in the region and reiterated his call for a two-state solution, saying Palestinians have the right to an independent state.

The summit in Egypt's Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh was aimed at supporting the ceasefire reached in Gaza, ending the Israel-Hamas war and developing a long-term vision for governing and rebuilding the devastated Palestinian territory.

The gathering appeared designed to rally international support behind the Trump vision for putting an end to the war. Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, the co-chair of the summit, told Trump “only you” can bring peace to the region.

Trump’s plan holds out the possibility of a Palestinian state, but only after a lengthy transition period in Gaza and a reform process by the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes Palestinian independence. Trump made no mention of a two-state solution at the summit.

In his own address to the summit, Trump called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East, saying that the region has “a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us.” He urged leaders “to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past.”

Israel and Hamas came under pressure from the United States, Arab countries and Turkey to agree on the first phase of the ceasefire deal negotiated in Qatar through mediators. It began Friday.

On Monday, Trump, el-Sissi, the Qatari emir and the Turkish president signed a document. Trump said the document spelled out "a lot of rules and regulations and lots of other things, and it’s very comprehensive.” The document was not shared with journalists in the room or made public.

The summit unfolded soon after Hamas released 20 remaining living Israeli hostages and Israel started to free hundreds of Palestinians from its prisons, crucial steps under the ceasefire. But major questions remain over what happens next, raising the risk of a slide back into war.

More than 20 world leaders attended the summit, including King Abdullah of Jordan, the French president and the British prime minister.

A Turkish government official said Turkey launched “a diplomatic initiative” to prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from attending the meeting, and after other countries backed the effort, Netanyahu decided not to come.

The official would not confirm Turkish media reports that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's plane circled over the Red Sea as Erdogan threatened to boycott the meeting and that the plane landed only after it became clear that Netanyahu would not arrive. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules.

Earlier, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had warned Egyptian and U.S. officials that he would withdraw from the summit if Netanyahu attended, according to the state-run Iraqi News Agency.

Netanyahu’s office announced that he would not attend, citing a Jewish holiday.

Israel has rejected any role in Gaza for the internationally backed Palestinian Authority, whose leader, Mahmoud Abbas, was in Sharm el-Sheikh.

El-Sissi’s office said the summit aimed to “end the war” in Gaza and “usher in a new page of peace and regional stability” in line with Trump’s vision.

Directly tackling the issues in depth was unlikely at the gathering, which lasted only about three hours and was mostly ceremonial. During the summit, world leaders lined up one by one to have their photos taken with Trump, who smiled and gave a thumbs-up to photographers. Then el-Sissi welcomed Trump, invited him to the stage and asked him to join world leaders “who love peace.”

Before Trump arrived in Egypt from Israel, Egyptian Air Force jets escorted Air Force One for a spin above the resort.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the success of Trump’s vision for Mideast peace will depend on his continued commitment to the process, including applying pressure to the parties and deploying military forces as part of an international contingent expected to carry out peacekeeping duties in the next phase.

“We need American engagement, even deployment on the ground, to identify the mission, task and mandate of this force,” Abdelatty told The Associated Press.

Under the first phase, Israeli troops pulled back from some parts of Gaza, allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza to return home from areas they were forced to evacuate. Aid groups are preparing to bring in large quantities of aid kept out of the territory for months.

In separate remarks, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Trump’s efforts to promote peace in several parts of the world. Pakistan, he said, had nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in helping ease tensions between India and Pakistan.

The next phase of the deal will have to tackle disarming Hamas, creating a post-war government for Gaza and handling the extent of Israel's withdrawal from the territory. Trump’s plan also stipulates that regional and international partners will work to develop the core of a new Palestinian security force.

Abdelatty said the international force needs a U.N. Security Council resolution to endorse its deployment.

He said Hamas will have no role in the transitional period in Gaza. A 15-member committee of Palestinian technocrats, with no affiliation with any Palestinian factions and vetted by Israel, will govern day to day affairs in Gaza. The committee would receive support and supervision from a “Board of Peace” proposed by Trump to oversee the implementation of the phases of his plan, Abdelatty said.

“We are counting on Trump to keep the implementation of this plan for all its phases,” he told AP.

Another major issue is raising funds for rebuilding Gaza. The World Bank, and Egypt's postwar plan, estimate reconstruction and recovery needs in Gaza at $53 billion. Egypt plans to host an early recovery and reconstruction conference for Gaza in November.

Turkey, which hosted Hamas political leaders for years, played a key role in bringing about the ceasefire agreement.

Jordan, alongside Egypt, will train the new Palestinian security force.

Germany, one of Israel’s strongest international backers and top suppliers of military equipment, was represented by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He has expressed concern over Israel's conduct of the war and its plan for a military takeover of Gaza.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who also attended, has he said will pledge 20 million British pounds ($27 million) to help provide water and sanitation for Gaza and that Britain will host a three-day conference on Gaza’s reconstruction and recovery.

Iran, a main backer of Hamas, did not attend. The Islamic Republic finds itself at one of its weakest moments since its 1979 revolution. Iranian officials have portrayed the ceasefire deal as a victory for Hamas.

The deal, however, has underlined Iran’s waning influence in the region and revived concerns over possible renewed conflict with Israel as Iran struggles to recover from the 12-day war between the two countries in June.

El Deeb reported from Cairo. Associated Press Writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump holds a signed document during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool via AP)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, right, listens to Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit during a summit to support ending the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a ceasefire deal, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

French President Emmanuel Macron looks on during the signature ceremony at the Gaza International Peace Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Oct.13 2025. (Yoan Valat, Pool photo via AP)

President Donald Trump and Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi talk during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and President Donald Trump pose during the greetings ceremony before the family picture at the Gaza International Peace Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Oct.13 2025. (Yoan Valat, Pool photo via AP)

President Donald Trump and Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi hold signed documents during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump and other world leaders pose for a photo during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

German Chancellor Freidrich Merz meets meets Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, at the Gaza International Peace Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Oct.13 2025. (Yoan Valat, Pool photo via AP)

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani and Jordan's King Abdullah, right, meet before attending a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett, Pool Photo via AP)

From left, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani and Jordan's King Abdullah meet before attending a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett, Pool Photo via AP)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at the Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at the Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, attends a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the Gaza International Peace Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Oct.13 2025. (Yoan Valat, Pool photo via AP)

A displaced Palestinian boy pulls a cart loaded with belongings as he walks along the heavily damaged Al-Jalaa Street in Gaza City, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

President Donald Trump speaks upon departing a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in foreground, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FILE - Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi speaks during a joint news conference, in Athens, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris,File)

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, at Joint Base Andrews, Md.., as he heads to the Middle East. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

A police vehicle in front of a poster showing Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and U.S. President Donald Trump at the Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A convicted murderer is challenging an Australian state’s ban on prisoners eating Vegemite, claiming in a court suit that withholding the polarizing yeast-based spread breaches his human right to “enjoy his culture as an Australian.”

Andre McKechnie, 54, took his battle for the salty, sticky, brown byproduct of brewing beer to the Supreme Court of Victoria, according to documents the court registry released to The Associated Press on Tuesday. He is suing Victoria’s Department of Justice and Community Safety and the agency that manages the prisons, Corrections Victoria. The case is scheduled for trial next year.

McKechnie is seeking a court declaration that the defendants denied him his right under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act to “enjoy his culture as an Australian.”

He also wants a declaration that the defendants breached the Corrections Act by “failing to provide food adequate to maintain” McKechnie’s “well-being.”

He wants the court to order the decision to ban Vegemite to be “remade in accordance with the law.”

Vegemite has been banned from Victorian prisons since 2006, with Corrections Victoria saying it “interferes with narcotic detection dogs.”

Inmates used to smear packages of illicit drugs with Vegemite in the hope that the odor would distract the dogs from the contraband.

Vegemite also contains yeast, which is banned from Victorian prisons because of its “potential to be used in the production of alcohol,” the contraband list says.

Manufactured in Australia since 1923 as an alternative to Britain’s Marmite, Vegemite was long marketed as a source of vitamin B for growing children.

The spread is beloved by a majority of Australians, but typically considered an acquired taste at best by those who weren’t raised on it.

The last U.S. president to visit Australia, Barack Obama, once said: “It’s horrible.”

Australian band Men at Work aroused international curiosity about the yeast-based spread when they mentioned a “Vegemite sandwich” in their 1980s hit “Down Under.”

The band's lead singer Colin Hay once accused American critics of laying Vegemite on too thick, blaming a “more is more” U.S. culture.

It’s a favorite on breakfast toast and in cheese sandwiches, with most fans agreeing it's best applied sparingly. Australian travelers bemoan Vegemite's scarcity overseas.

The Australian government intervened in April when Canadian officials temporarily prevented a Toronto-based cafe from selling Vegemite in jars and on toast in a dispute media branded as “Vegemite-gate.” Canadians relented and allowed the product to be sold despite its failure to comply with local regulations dealing with food packaging and vitamin fortification.

The Department of Justice and Community Safety and Corrections Victoria declined to comment on Tuesday. Government agencies generally maintain it is not appropriate to comment on issues that are before the courts.

Victims of crime advocate and lawyer John Herron said it was a frivolous lawsuit and was offensive to victims’ families.

“As victims, we don’t have any rights. We have limited if any support. It’s always about the perpetrator, and this just reinforces that,” said Herron, whose daughter Courtney Herron, was beaten to death in a Melbourne park in 2019. Her killer was found not guilty of murder by reason of mental impairment.

“It’s not a case of Vegemite or Nutella or whatever it may be. It’s an extra perk that is rubbing our faces in the tragedy that we’ve suffered,” Herron added.

McKechnie is currently held at maximum-security Port Phillip Prison. He was 23 years old when he stabbed to death wealthy Gold Coast property developer Otto Kuhne in Queensland state in 1994.

He was sentenced to life for murder and transferred a decade later from the Queensland to the Victorian prison system.

He wrote last year that he spent eight years free on parole in Victoria before he "decided that I had had enough.” He returned to prison and has spent the past decade in custody.

McKechnie’s lawyers didn’t respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

A piece of toast is prepared with Vegemite in Sydney, Australia, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)