Israeli prime minister declines invitation to attend peace summit in Egypt

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he will not attend an international peace summit on Gaza in Egypt's Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

A statement by Netanyahu's office said the premier was invited by US President Donald Trump to attend Monday's Gaza peace summit in Egypt.

"The (Israeli) Prime Minister thanked President Trump for his invitation but stated that he would not be able to attend due to the proximity of the event to the start of the holiday," the statement said.

Netanyahu expressed gratitude to Trump "for his efforts to expand the circle of peace - peace through strength," it added.

The Egyptian presidency also confirmed that Netanyahu will not attend the peace summit.

Egypt earlier said that Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would attend the peace summit "to consolidate the ceasefire agreement to stop the war in Gaza, and confirm their commitment to it."

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

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.