Trump, El-Sisi to chair Gaza peace summit on Monday: Egypt

CAIRO: US President Donald Trump and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will chair the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Egyptian presidency said on Saturday.

The meeting will take place on Monday afternoon “with the participation of leaders from more than twenty countries,” it said.

It will aim “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he will attend, as will Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni and Pedro Sanchez of Spain. French President Emmanuel Macron has also confirmed his attendance.

There was no immediate word about whether Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be in Sharm el-Sheikh, while Hamas has said it will not take part.

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Hossam Badran, a Hamas political bureau member, told AFP in an interview that the Palestinian militant group “will not be involved.”

Hamas “acted principally through… Qatari and Egyptian mediators” during previous talks on Gaza, he said.

The first phase of the plan is set to begin with the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners by Monday, marking what Britain called a “historic turning point” after two years of war.

Starmer would pay tribute to the role of Trump and the diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye in brokering the deal, his office said.

He is expected to call for continued international coordination to implement the next phase, which includes deploying a ceasefire monitoring mission and establishing transitional governance in Gaza.

Starmer will reiterate Britain’s “steadfast support” to help secure the ceasefire and deliver humanitarian aid.