Overview: A high-stakes gathering in Sharm El Sheikh
President Donald Trump is set to co-host a Gaza peace summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, alongside President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The event, which brings together more than 20 world leaders, follows Trump’s stop in Israel to address the Knesset and meet families of hostages. The Egyptian presidency frames the meeting as a critical step toward ending the Gaza war, stabilizing the region, and ushering in a new era of regional security. The guest list reads like a who’s who of leaders involved in regional diplomacy, including allies and partners who have helped negotiate ceasefire terms and hostage releases.
Key attendees: Who is going to the Gaza peace summit
Donald Trump will headline the summit, aiming to advance his peace plan while addressing the post-ceasefire framework for Gaza. The U.S. president has repeatedly framed his approach as a path toward a sustainable resolution, though some details—such as Gaza’s governance post-conflict and the fate of Hamas—remain unsettled. Trump’s presence is a signal of high-level political backing for ongoing talks.
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Egypt’s president, is a central figure in arranging the meeting. Egypt has long mediated between Israel and Hamas, and Sisi’s involvement is viewed as essential to maintaining momentum and ensuring any ceasefire terms endure.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar’s emir, has been publicly engaged in the diplomacy surrounding Gaza, with reports suggesting he sought to bind broader Arab support to the peace process. Qatar has been a key mediator in various rounds of negotiations, and the emir’s attendance underscores a multilateral approach.
Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, is listed as a participant, though his role is contingent on reform steps and the evolving status of Palestinian governance in Gaza. The discussions may explore how the PA could be integrated into post-conflict arrangements, even as Israeli leadership has raised questions about such a path.
Other notable attendees include European and global leaders who have weighed in on the Middle East crisis and the ceasefire arrangement. French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan bring European and regional perspectives to the table. The UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez are among several European leaders participating, reflecting ongoing Western diplomatic engagement. The guest list also features Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, signaling broad European alignment with ceasefire efforts.
Regional and international bodies are represented by EU leaders, the UN secretary-general António Guterres, and the Arab League secretary-general Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Kuwait’s and Bahrain’s leaders are among the Gulf monarchies emphasizing security, stability, and humanitarian considerations in the ceasefire framework.
Other invited leaders and delegations include Indonesia’s president Prabowo Subianto, Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev, Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney, Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Store, and several prime ministers from Europe and Asia. The wide-ranging membership illustrates a concerted effort to preserve a delicate ceasefire while laying groundwork for a broader regional security architecture.
Who isn’t going: notable absences that shape the summit
Israeli officials will not attend the Gaza peace summit, a decision confirmed by a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The absence of the Israeli delegation signals the complexity of coordinating the event with current ground realities in Gaza and the ongoing diplomatic dynamics with Hamas.
Representatives from Hamas are not attending, with a Hamas political bureau member stating the group will not participate directly and relying on its mediators—Qatar and Egypt—for engagement. The decision underscores the continued rift between Hamas and the leadership gathering in Sharm El Sheikh.
Iranian officials have likewise declined to attend. While Egypt extended invitations, Iran’s government said it would not participate, citing tensions with the United States and regional adversaries. Iranian foreign ministry and state media have noted that Iran’s leadership will not engage in a forum they view as led by adversaries.
The absence of these key regional players highlights the summit’s role as a diplomatic signal rather than a comprehensive peace conference. It also reflects the broader geopolitical fault lines that influence how proposals are framed and who can credibly back a post-conflict plan.
What the summit aims to achieve
The Egyptian presidency describes the gathering as a chance to end the war in Gaza, stabilize the Middle East, and set a framework for a new era of regional security. While the rhetoric is ambitious, the practical outcomes will hinge on managing ceasefire commitments, humanitarian access, reconstruction, and the future governance of Gaza. Observers will watch to see how closely the event aligns with Trump’s 20-point peace plan and whether the talks yield concrete milestones that can be agreed upon by a broad coalition of participating states.
Bottom line
With a mix of traditional allies, regional players, and international voices, the Gaza peace summit in Sharm El Sheikh is positioned as a milestone in the ongoing diplomacy over Gaza. Yet the notable absences—Israel, Hamas, and Iran—remind attendees that the path to lasting peace remains complex and contested.
