Israel and Hamas were initially excluded from the conference lineup, which will be attended by world leaders from Europe and the Islamic and Arab world.
By World Israel News Staff
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to fly to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, later today (Monday) to attend a high-profile international summit on the future of the Gaza Strip. The invitation to the Israeli leader came only hours before the event was scheduled to begin.
The summit, led by U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, will bring together major world leaders from across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
Participants include representatives from Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, alongside key Western leaders such as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The conference aims to explore “practical ways to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and cooperation.”
Notably, El-Sisi has harshly criticized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and has not spoken directly with Netanyahu throughout the war, despite the longstanding peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
Neither Israel nor Hamas were initially invited to attend, though Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed his participation. El-Sisi reportedly extended a formal invitation to Netanyahu on Monday afternoon, following a phone call, in which Trump also participated.
The timing of the summit coincides with the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah — the same holiday, corresponding to the civil calendar date of October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists launched their brutal attack and massacre in southern Israel.
Iran was also invited but declined to participate. The Islamic Republic’s foreign ministry publicly confirmed it had received and rejected the invitation.
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