Egypt confirms Israeli prime minister to attend peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh

Egypt confirmed Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will attend a planned peace summit in the Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The Egyptian presidency said Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will participate in the summit, set to open later Monday.

A presidency spokesman said the participation of Netanyahu and Abbas aims "to consolidate the ceasefire agreement to stop the war in Gaza, and confirm their commitment to it."

The announcement came shortly Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Netanyahu spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi over the phone in the presence of US President Donald Trump.

More than 20 world leaders are expected to attend the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, which will be co-chaired Sisi and Trump.

Egypt said the summit aims "to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East, and usher in a new phase of regional security and stability."

The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect on Friday under Trump's plan to end a two-year Israeli war on the enclave.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 67,800 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, leaving the enclave largely uninhabitable.