SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt — The US and Egyptian presidents are chairing a gathering of world leaders dubbed “Summit for Peace” on Monday to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal.
Israel and Hamas have no direct contacts and were not expected to attend Monday’s summit. The Israeli prime minister’s office said Benjamin Netanyahu will not travel to the venue because of a Jewish holiday.
Israel has rejected any role in Gaza for the internationally backed Palestinian Authority, whose leader, Mahmoud Abbas, is attending the summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The gathering comes as Hamas released 20 remaining living Israeli hostages and Israel started to free hundreds of Palestinians from its prisons, crucial steps after a ceasefire began on Friday.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi´s office said the summit aims to “end the war” in Gaza and “usher in a new page of peace and regional stability” in line with US President Donald Trump´s vision.
The two leaders co-chairing the international summit signals that they are working together on a path forward.
Ahead of the gathering, Egypt´s foreign minister said it was also crucial that Israel and Hamas fully implement the first phase of the deal so that the parties, with international backing, can begin negotiations on the second phase.
The success of Trump´s vision for Mideast peace is his continued commitment to the process, including applying pressure on the parties, engagement and “even deployment on the ground” with international forces expected to carry out peacekeeping duties in the next phase, said Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
“We need American engagement, even deployment on the ground, to identify the mission, task and mandate of this force,” Abdelatty told The Associated Press.
Abdelatty said the international force needs a UN Security Council resolution to endorse its deployment and mandate as a peacekeeping force.
Major issue is raising funds for rebuilding Gaza. The World Bank, and Egypt’s postwar plan, estimate reconstruction and recovery needs in Gaza at $53 billion. Egypt plans to host a future reconstruction conference.
King Abdullah of Jordan is among the expected attendees. His country, alongside Egypt, will train the new Palestinian security force.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, European Union President António Costa and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are attending.
Sharm el-Sheikh, the Red Sea resort at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula, has been host to many peace negotiations in the past decades.
