Washington, Oct 13 (NationPress) US President Donald Trump stated that achieving peace in the Middle East is "more challenging" than addressing the current government shutdown as he headed to Egypt for a summit focused on the peace process in Gaza.

In a striking analogy between the Gaza agreement and the end of the US government shutdown, Trump remarked, "The most difficult issue has been ongoing for 3000 years, while the shutdowns have only lasted 10 days... However, we are taking action... We are eliminating certain programs that are unnecessary... these are initiatives backed by the Democrats that we never endorsed."

He labeled the government shutdown as the "Schumer shutdown" and asserted that the Democrats are "making a significant error".

These comments arise amidst a US government shutdown, which began on October 1, marking the first in seven years, with the last occurring during Trump's first term and lasting a record 35 days.

Trump also emphasized that his administration is ensuring that American troops receive their salaries. He made this commitment on October 11, instructing Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to "utilize all available funds" to guarantee that troops are compensated on October 15 during the ongoing federal government shutdown.

"We have earmarked funds for this purpose, and Secretary Hegseth will deploy them to pay our troops," Trump stated in a post on Truth Social on October 11.

Approximately two-thirds of the employees from the National Park Service, the federal body responsible for managing national parks, have also been furloughed due to the shutdown, impacting tourist attractions like the caves in Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, as well as White Sands National Park in New Mexico.

In a related development, Trump proclaimed that "the war is over" in the Middle East.

This moment signifies a notable peace advancement during Trump's second term, following his negotiations with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas to agree on the 20-point peace proposal he introduced.

Before arriving in Sharm El-Sheikh for the summit, he will stop in Israel, where he is anticipated to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu and address the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Following the ceasefire that quelled the hostilities in Gaza on Friday, Hamas pledged to release the remaining Israeli hostages, which is expected to occur on Monday via the Red Cross.

The conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas and its associates invaded Israel from Gaza, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals and the capture of 251 hostages.

Hamas has previously freed several hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel, and in addition to the remaining 20 hostages, they were expected to return the bodies of about 20 individuals who died in custody.