India's Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh Represents PM Modi at Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt

Kirti Vardhan Singh has arrived in Cairo as India's representative for the Gaza Peace Summit at Sharm El-Sheikh.

New Delhi:

Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh has reached Cairo to serve as India's representative at the Gaza Peace Summit scheduled to take place in Sharm El-Sheikh.

Sharing on X, the Union Minister stated: "Arrived in the historic city of Cairo as special representative of Prime Minister @narendramodi to attend the Gaza Peace Summit at Sharm el-Sheikh."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed support for the initial phase of US President Donald Trump's peace plan agreed upon by Israel and Hamas on Thursday. In his official X post, PM Modi declared: "We welcome the agreement on the first phase of President Trump's peace plan. This is also a reflection of the strong leadership of PM Netanyahu. We hope the release of hostages and enhanced humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza will bring respite to them and pave the way for lasting peace."

According to the Egyptian Presidency, the summit will be hosted at Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday with the aim of finalizing an agreement to end the Gaza conflict.

The meeting will be jointly chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and US President Donald Trump, bringing together leadership from more than 20 nations. The summit aims to conclude the war in the Gaza Strip, strengthen efforts toward Middle East peace and stability, and initiate a new era of regional security, as stated by the Egyptian Presidency.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will travel to Egypt to participate in the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit for Peace on Monday, according to an announcement from the Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.

"The Secretary-General is travelling to Egypt to attend, on Monday, the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit for Peace. He is expected back at UN Headquarters on Wednesday," the office mentioned in a brief statement to correspondents.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has recently taken effect after intensive negotiations in Sharm El Sheikh between both parties, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States.

The peace plan's first phase includes Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza City, Rafah, Khan Younis, and northern areas, the opening of five aid crossings, and the exchange of hostages and prisoners.

A Hamas source indicated on Friday that the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is expected to resume limited operations by mid-next week, though specific operational details remain unannounced.