Rare images from inside the negotiation room in Sharm el-Sheikh were released overnight Thursday by Arabic media outlets, showing key moments just before U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had signed the first phase of his ceasefire plan.
Among the photos was one particularly striking image: Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al Thani shaking hands with Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon of the Israeli negotiation team. The meeting came exactly one month after an Israeli strike triggered unprecedented tensions between Israel and Doha, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to issue a rare apology to Qatar during a phone call from the White House.
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Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al Thani (second from left) shakes hands with Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon (left), a member of the Israeli negotiation team
Other images showed the full Israeli delegation, including Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and the government’s envoy for hostages and missing persons, Gal Hirsch. Senior Hamas figures were also present in the room, including Gaza leader Khalil al-Hayya, senior officials Ghazi Hamad and Zaher Jabarin. Trump’s senior adviser Steve Witkoff was photographed as well, alongside Turkey’s intelligence chief and representatives from a newly appointed mediation team that had arrived in Egypt.
The images emerged just as Arab outlets began reporting that Hamas had agreed to the deal. Citing sources within the “Palestinian resistance,” the reports said the formal signing was expected at noon Thursday in Egypt.
The photos were released shortly after a dramatic moment in the White House briefing room, when Trump, mid-question from reporters, was handed a note by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio whispered in the president’s ear, prompting Trump to tell the press: “I was just given a note by the secretary of state, saying that we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East and they're going to need me pretty quickly.”
Shortly afterward, the Associated Press and Sky News reported that the note contained a request to approve a Truth Social post, so the president could be the first to announce the Gaza deal. Minutes later, Trump published the announcement.
“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”