US President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday to co-chair a high-profile summit on Gaza’s future, alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The meeting, which will bring together more than 20 heads of state and global leaders, comes after Trump’s visit to Israel, where he addressed the Knesset and met families of Israeli hostages freed under the recent ceasefire deal, reports Guardian.
According to the Egyptian presidency, the summit aims “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, strengthen peace efforts in the Middle East, and open a new chapter of regional stability and cooperation.”
The ambitious agenda reflects the wide-ranging goals of the initiative, which follows the first major breakthrough in the two-year-long Gaza conflict — a ceasefire that includes mutual prisoner exchanges.
While the truce remains fragile, Monday’s gathering is expected to focus on implementing the next stages of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, including the governance of Gaza, post-war reconstruction, and the future of Hamas.
Who is attending the Gaza peace summit?
Donald Trump
He will seek to push forward his plan for a permanent ceasefire and a broader Middle East peace framework. Several elements of his proposal — particularly regarding Gaza’s post-war administration — are still being debated.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump declared, “The war is over,” expressing optimism that “everyone’s cheering” across the region.
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
Egypt has played a central mediating role between Israel and Hamas throughout the conflict. Officials in Cairo describe this summit as part of al-Sisi’s wider effort to consolidate the ceasefire and ensure the humanitarian situation in Gaza improves.
According to diplomatic sources, Egypt invited Trump to take what one official called a “victory lap” through the region to reinforce the truce.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
The Emir of Qatar will also attend. Doha has been instrumental in hostage negotiations and humanitarian mediation.
Sources suggest that Arab leaders, including the Qatari emir, encouraged Trump to formally tie his name to the peace plan, hoping his political investment would secure its success.
Mahmoud Abbas
The Palestinian Authority president is among the participants, though his potential role in governing Gaza remains uncertain.
Trump’s plan left the door open for the PA to return to Gaza under certain reforms, a proposal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far rejected.
Other confirmed attendees
The summit’s guest list includes a wide range of global figures- French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, European Council President Antonio Costa, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Also attending are Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Kuwait’s Prime Minister Ahmad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
Who will not attend?
Israeli officials
Israel confirmed that it will not send any representatives to the Sharm el-Sheikh summit. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Netanyahu said the government “is not participating in this stage of discussions.”
Hamas representatives
A member of Hamas’s political bureau told media that the group “will not be involved in the summit,” stating that previous negotiations were conducted exclusively through Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
Iranian leadership
Despite an invitation from Cairo, Iran has declined to attend. State media reported that neither President Masoud Pezeshkian nor Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi would participate.
Araghchi posted on X on Monday, saying: “Neither President Pezeshkian nor I can engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian people and continue to sanction us,” referring to the United States.
Iran and Israel, backed by Washington, engaged in a series of confrontations in June, including reported strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities during a 12-day escalation.
As the summit opens, the world’s attention turns to Egypt’s Red Sea resort town, where leaders hope the ceasefire can evolve into lasting peace — though the absence of key parties raises questions about how durable the outcome will be.
