Israel Netanyahu not attending summit in Egypt after all
Contrary to reports from Egypt, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not traveling to the international summit where the breakthrough in the negotiations on the Gaza war is to be celebrated. Netanyahu had thanked US President Donald Trump for an invitation to Egypt, but would not be able to make the trip due to time pressure before the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah (Joy of the Torah), his office announced. Less than an hour before the announcement, the Egyptian presidential office had announced that Netanyahu would be traveling to Sharm el-Sheikh. The office later confirmed the cancellation.
13.10.2025, 12:56
13.10.2025, 12:57
SDA
A trip by Netanyahu to Egypt would have been remarkable if he had met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas there, who, according to Egypt, intends to attend. Abbas heads both the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Fatah movement, which rivals Hamas. The Islamist Hamas drove Fatah out of the Gaza Strip in a bloody fratricidal war in 2007. Since then, Abbas has effectively only ruled the West Bank. Israel has so far rejected PA rule in the Gaza Strip. However, it remains to be seen to what extent the PA could be involved in the future administration of Gaza.
European and Arab delegations expected
An international summit on the Gaza war is planned in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. More than 20 heads of state and government are expected to attend, including from Europe and the Arab world.
Netanyahu's cancellation is a relief for several of the Arab delegations, who do not have normal relations with Israel and would probably not have traveled to the summit in Egypt had they known of Netanyahu's participation. Among others, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani is expected to attend. Any contact with Israel has been a criminal offense in the country since 2022. Saudi Arabia, whose foreign minister is expected to attend, also has no official relations with Israel.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Jordan's King Abdullah II are among those expected in Sharm el-Sheikh. Heads of state and government from Qatar, Turkey, Canada, Indonesia and Pakistan are also expected to attend.
Gaza agreement likely to be formally sealed
It remains to be seen what decisions can be made at the meeting on the Gaza war. According to Trump, a "Middle East peace ceremony" is planned. The highest representatives from Qatar, Egypt and the USA are expected to formally seal the agreement between Hamas and Israel in Egypt.
Hamas circles reported at the weekend that they would not be attending the ceremony. During the negotiations in the two-year war, the Hamas and Israeli delegations always sat in separate rooms and did not meet in person.
