US President Donald Trump caused a stir at the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt on Monday when he referred to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni the only female leader on stage as “beautiful.”

The 79-year-old, who has been married three times, acknowledged mid-speech that his remark might be deemed politically incorrect.

“I’m not allowed to say it, because usually it’s the end of your political career if you do,” Trump said while discussing his peace efforts in the Middle East. “But she’s a beautiful young woman I’ll take my chances.”

Turning toward Meloni, 48, Trump added, “You don’t mind being called beautiful, right? Because you are.”

Meloni’s immediate reaction was not visible, as Trump’s back was turned to the cameras.

Trump, who has previously praised Meloni’s conservative leadership, went on to describe her as “incredible,” adding that “they really respect her in Italy she’s a very successful politician.”

The exchange quickly drew attention online, with many noting that Trump’s remarks overshadowed parts of his address on Gaza’s peace efforts.

Meloni was the only woman among around 30 leaders gathered on the stage behind Trump for the summit, where they signed a declaration pledging to help push through peace for Gaza.

Trump has previously been criticised for sexist remarks.

In September, a US appeals court upheld a jury’s $83.3-million penalty against Trump for defaming author E. Jean Carroll, whom he was found to have sexually assaulted.

US President Donald Trump, a self-proclaimed peacemaker who has campaigned for a Nobel Prize, finally got a camera-ready diplomatic victory on Monday as world leaders flew to Egypt for the signing of the ceasefire and hostage-release deal he brokered between Israel and Hamas.

But if lasting peace is to take root, analysts and diplomats say, Trump will have to maintain pressure on the man whose support he’ll need in the next phases of his plan: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

US presidents from Bill Clinton to Joe Biden have found the strong-willed Israeli leader difficult to work with, and even Trump administration officials have been frustrated by some Israeli military strikes they see as undermining US policy.

But this month Trump managed to push Netanyahu into accepting his framework for a broader peace deal while persuading other Middle Eastern countries to convince Hamas to return all the Israeli hostages, its key leverage in the war.

The work could get harder from here, however.

Israel and Hamas remain sharply divided over many aspects of Trump’s 20-point plan and, as Israel prepares for next year’s elections, Netanyahu’s approach may shift as he attempts to keep his right-wing coalition together.

“We’re entering a political year where everything is related to campaigns, and Netanyahu’s calculations may flip from caving to pressure to trying to ensure his political survival,” said Nimrod Goren, the president of Mitvim, an Israeli foreign policy think tank.

The strength of Trump’s peace plan, said the diplomats and analysts, is also its weakness.

The document at the heart of the deal leaves much undefined, and neither side actually agreed to the fine print of each term. That vagueness was key to getting both sides to sign on, but it also means some of the most difficult diplomatic work is just beginning.

Among the potential sticking points of Trump’s peace plan is an agreement that Hamas disarm and play no role in Gaza’s future administration. While Hamas agreed to Trump’s plan generally, the group’s official response made no mention of those specific terms, and Hamas leaders have indicated that they do in fact see a role for themselves in governing a post-war Gaza.

“There are any number of ways this could go sideways,” said Jon Alterman, a Middle East expert at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former State Department official.

“It’s hard to remember an international agreement that left so much to be worked out later.”

The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A senior US official suggested that Trump had gained influence with Netanyahu in part by strongly supporting Israel on other important matters.

Trump’s first administration formally recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the disputed Golan Heights as part of the country, two things long sought by the Israeli government.

“One thing President Trump’s done with Israel … is that he’s not trying to be a middle-of-the-roader,” the US official said. “He’s basically stood shoulder to shoulder with Israel 100%. But because of that, he’s been able to help guide them in the right direction.”

A sterner Trump

Trump has a mixed record when it comes to applying political pressure on Netanyahu.

In July, Israel bombed the Syrian defense ministry in Damascus even as the US had made a point of expanding ties with the new Syrian government. The US president gave political cover in Gaza to Netanyahu for months amid mounting humanitarian concerns among European and Arab allies.

But in recent weeks, a sterner Trump has emerged. He forced Netanyahu, opens new tab to call the leader of Qatar to apologise after a failed bombing raid targeting Hamas negotiators in that country in September. Ultimately, he muscled Netanyahu into signing onto his 20-point plan despite the Israeli leader’s misgivings.

At the moment, said Alterman, the Middle East expert, Trump can likely exert leverage over Netanyahu given the US president’s significant popularity in Israel.

“Trump’s greatest leverage is he’s much more politically popular in Israel than Netanyahu,” Alterman said, “and he can either support Netanyahu’s political future or sabotage it.”

At the speech before the Israeli parliament on Monday, Trump playfully poked at the Israeli leader in ways that indicated he did not feel the need to treat Netanyahu with special deference.

“Well, see, now you can be a little bit nicer, Bibi, because you’re not at war anymore,” Trump said to laughs.

But next year’s elections could change Netanyahu’s political calculations in ways that are difficult to predict.

Supporters of right-wing politicians Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich could in theory threaten Netanyahu’s governing coalition if they are sufficiently angered by the decision to halt military operations against Hamas.

Analysts warn that foot-dragging by the Palestinian group over disarming could lead right-wing elements of the coalition to pressure Netanyahu to resume military operations in Gaza, effectively scuttling Trump’s deal.

“We are troubled with the fact that Hamas still, today, declares it will stay in power in Gaza,” Simcha Rothman, a member of the Religious Zionism party and of Netanyahu’s governing coalition, told Reuters on Monday.

“We are not happy with any deal that is not total surrender of Hamas … We will not accept any partial victory.”

Another issue that could prove an irritant: a provision in the peace plan that admits the possibility of a future Palestinian state, which analysts say most Israelis would struggle to accept after Hamas’ cross-border attack of October 7, 2023.

Dan Shapiro, a former US ambassador to Israel, said that if government and opposition politicians campaign heavily against the creation of such a state, it could limit the willingness of Arab countries to push Hamas to fulfill its obligations under Trump’s deal.

“That was a very important inclusion to get the support of the Arab states to do their part,” Shapiro said.

“If the political discourse is a full-on rejection of a Palestinian state for all time, I think that could color the enthusiasm of the Arab parties to play the parts that they need to play.”

• Small towns remain cut off; residents clearing paths for aid delivery.
• Shelters opened for displaced, helicopters delivering food, water.
• Torrential rains triggered landslides, washed away cities.

Rescuers scrambled Monday to reach people cut off by devastating floods that have claimed 64 lives in central and eastern Mexico, with another 65 reported missing.

Torrential rains battered several Mexican states over several days last week, turning streets into rivers, triggering landslides and sweeping away roads and bridges.

Dozens of small communities remained inaccessible by road Monday, days after the deluge, and residents worked tirelessly to clear paths for the delivery of food and other supplies.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that around 10,000 troops have been deployed with boats, planes and helicopters as part of rescue efforts and to deliver critical food and water for those trapped.

Shelters have been opened for those displaced from their homes, and helicopters were flying to and fro to bring essentials to people cut off from the rest of the world.

“Many flights are needed…to deliver enough food and water,” the president told reporters Monday.

According to Laura Velázquez, the head of Mexico’s civil defence authority, the states of Veracruz, Hidalgo and Puebla were hardest hit by flooding brought on by days of heavy rains.

In Hidalgo alone, 43 people were reported missing.

She updated the death toll that had stood at 47 just 12 hours earlier, indicative of the fast-unfolding scale of the disaster.

Mexico has been hit by particularly heavy rains this year, including a record for the capital, Mexico City.

‘Difficult’ to predict

In the municipality of Tenango de Doria in Hidalgo state, AFP witnessed residents walking kilometres in search of food and water, with flooded roads inaccessible for most vehicles.

Some carried bundles of belongings with them in the hopes of finding a shelter for displaced people.

“We walked two-and-a-half hours through the mud…Everything is completely undone; we have no supplies, no food, nothing,” Marco Mendoza, a 35-year-old farmer, told AFP of his unsuccessful search for food in stores in Tenango de Doria, the main urban centre for miles.

Stores in the centre had no electricity, and residents massed in the central plaza to inquire about road openings and the arrival of aid.

Francisco Hernandez, a 63-year-old farmer from the neighbouring town of El Texme, said a river that burst its banks left his community “trapped.”

Heavy rains often occur during Mexico’s wet season from May to October, but last week’s downpours were made more dangerous by the combination of a tropical system from the Gulf of Mexico and a cold front from the north, according to meteorologists.

Dwellers of coastal cities and towns in the state of Veracruz, crisscrossed by many rivers, were instructed last Friday to evacuate due to rising waters.

In several high-lying inhabited areas, however, the persistent rains washed away mountain sides that spilled downhill as landslides.

Sheinbaum on Monday batted away questions about possible failures in early warning and preparedness.

“It would have been difficult to have information in advance about this situation, unlike what happens with hurricanes,” she said, citing a combination of unpredictable meteorological factors.

Skies cleared in many parts on Sunday, allowing work with heavy clearance machinery to get underway.