US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold talks at the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, on Oct. 13, 2025. (Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/AFP)
The announcement of Benjamin Netanyahu’s attendance at the Gaza summit on Monday in Sharm al-Sheikh sparked backlash from regional leaders and prompted a swift reversal from the Israeli prime minister, according to several diplomatic sources.
His presence at the Egyptian resort could have led to a historic meeting with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, who was invited at the last minute thanks to French support. “In any case, Abbas was ready to meet him. It’s a pity,” a Western diplomatic source told AFP.
The participation of the Palestinian leader was also only announced at the last minute. It was confirmed Monday morning by French president Emmanuel Macron upon his arrival at the summit, which was meant to support the Trump plan that led to a cease-fire in Gaza and aims to permanently end Israel's war on Gaza.
Soon after, Israeli public broadcaster announced that Netanyahu would also attend the summit, a report confirmed by the Egyptian presidency in a statement.
A White House official said the American president, who was visiting Israel before heading to Egypt, had organized a call with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sissi during which the Israeli prime minister was invited.
Last-minute cancellation
But an hour later, a reversal: Netanyahu “thanked Trump for the invitation but said he could not attend the summit due to the Simchat Torah Jewish holiday beginning Monday at sundown,” his office said in a statement.
Turkey, backed by Arab nations, claims it had pressured to block Netanyahu’s attendance, a Turkish diplomatic source told AFP. “At the initiative of President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, and thanks to Turkey’s diplomatic efforts with the support of other leaders, Netanyahu will not attend the meeting in Egypt,” the source said with satisfaction.
Turkey, which has close ties to Hamas’ political leadership, participated in negotiations with the Palestinian movement in Doha alongside Qatar and Egypt, and intends to play a role in implementing and monitoring the cease-fire in Gaza.
Iraq, which does not recognize Israel, also threatened to withdraw from the summit “if Netanyahu attended,” Ali al-Mousawi, adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, told AFP.
According to him, “the Egyptian side listened and informed Mr. Netanyahu that he could not be received, which led to the cancellation of his participation” in the summit.
“There are many countries here that do not recognize Israel, some panicked, they didn’t want the photo with him,” explained a member of another delegation in Sharm al-Sheikh. “So he backpedaled.”
Several countries attending the Egyptian summit — including Turkey and some European states such as Spain — accuse Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza. A conclusion also shared in a recent UN-mandated commission report.
Instead, Trump warmly welcomed Abbas, whose presence in Egypt is, according to Macron, a “very good signal” of “recognition of the Palestinian Authority’s role as a legitimate entity.”
Paris claims to have played a role in this meeting: “In Sharm al-Sheikh, Palestine wasn’t supposed to be in the picture. But France took it by the hand to ensure it was recognized,” French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on X, commenting on images of Macron accompanying Abbas to meet Trump.
