Shehbaz hails Gaza ceasefire deal as ‘historic opportunity’ for lasting peace in Middle East

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Thursday that announcing a “deal” that will end the genocide in Gaza is a historic opportunity to secure lasting peace in the Middle East.

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Shehbaz praised the leaders of Qatar, Egypt and Turkey for their sustained diplomatic efforts to achieve a breakthrough.

He said the world must pay tribute to the Palestinian people, who endured “unprecedented suffering” and ensure that such tragedies do not happen again. He also expressed concern over new provocations at the Al Aqsa Mosque, calling on world powers to hold “illegal occupiers and settlers” to account and protect ongoing peace efforts.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed that Pakistan will continue to work with its regional partners to promote peace, security and dignity of the Palestinian people, in line with their aspirations and UN resolutions.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar also welcomed the progress, saying Pakistan “commends President Trump, as well as Qatar, Egypt and Turkey for their efforts” to secure an initial ceasefire, exchange of hostages and prisoners and humanitarian access to Gaza.

He expressed hope that the agreement would pave the way for a permanent ceasefire and reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for a sovereign Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Trump receives memo on Gaza deal at White House event

Earlier today, US President Donald Trump was seen receiving a handwritten note from Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a White House panel discussion on the Antifa movement.

As captured by pool cameras, Rubio handed the note to Trump while Attorney General Pam Bondi spoke.

Moments later, Trump read the memo and told reporters: “I just received a memo from the Secretary of State saying that we are very close to a deal in the Middle East and they will need me pretty quickly. So I will answer a few more questions.”

According to Reutersthe note – written on White House stationery – read: “You need to approve a Truth Social publication soon so you can first announce the deal.” » The White House has not yet commented on this exchange.

The statements come as Trump announced he may visit the Middle East later this week, with Egyptian negotiators reporting “encouraging progress” toward a comprehensive agreement to end the conflict in Gaza. The talks, underway in Sharm el-Sheikh, are centered on Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which proposes a gradual ceasefire, the release of hostages and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

According to mediators, Hamas submitted lists of Palestinian hostages and prisoners for an exchange, while Qatar, Egypt and Turkey stepped up coordination to remove remaining obstacles to the truce.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called the talks “encouraging” and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the negotiations had made “a lot of progress.”

Celebrations in Gaza

Palestinians in Khan Younis took to the streets in jubilation after Israel and Hamas signed the first phase of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Videos obtained by Reuters showed crowds dancing, cheering and waving flags near Nasser Hospital as chants blared from loudspeakers and ambulances passed amid cheering crowds.

The deal, negotiated as part of US President Donald Trump’s peace framework, includes an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an exchange of hostages and prisoners.

Hamas, however, urged Trump and guarantor states to ensure that Israel fully respects the terms of the truce, which marks the most important step yet toward ending the two-year war that has devastated the Palestinian enclave.