Gaza ceasefire has ‘saved millions of lives,’ Pakistan premier says at Sharm el-Sheikh summit

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that achieving a ceasefire in the war-torn Gaza has saved "millions of lives" in the Middle East.

Speaking at the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, co-chaired by US President Donald Trump and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Sharif lauded the role of Trump, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman and other world leaders for "valuably" contributing to peace efforts.

Last week, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a plan he laid out Sept. 29 to bring a ceasefire to Gaza, release all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the entire Gaza Strip. The first phase of the deal came into force on Friday.

Phase two of the plan calls for the establishment of a new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas’ participation, the formation of a multinational force, and the disarmament of Hamas.