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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend Monday’s peace summit in Egypt aimed at ending the Gaza war, his office confirmed, following Cairo’s earlier announcement that he would take part.
According to a statement from Netanyahu’s office, he was invited by U.S. President Donald Trump to join world leaders at the meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh but declined “due to the timing’s proximity to the beginning of (a Jewish) holiday.”
“The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for his invitation and for his efforts to expand the circle of peace — peace through strength,” the statement added.
Earlier, an Egyptian presidential spokesperson said both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Netanyahu were expected to attend the summit “to solidify the agreement to end the war in Gaza and reaffirm their commitment to it.”
The spokesperson also noted that Trump and Netanyahu had spoken by phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi while in Israel on Monday.
