Leaders from more than 20 nations will gather on Monday in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh for a high-stakes summit aimed at forging a path toward a permanent end to the war in Gaza. The meeting comes after two years of devastating conflict that has left the enclave in ruins and the region on edge.
Co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump, the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit will convene an extraordinary lineup of global leaders. Attendees include UN Secretary-General António Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Senior officials from the UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and the Arab League are also expected, alongside European Council President António Costa.
According to a statement from Egypt’s presidency, the summit aims to “end the war in Gaza, strengthen efforts to establish peace and stability in the Middle East, and open a new chapter for regional security.” Proceedings will begin with a bilateral meeting between Al-Sisi and Trump, followed by a plenary session, a group photo, and speeches by the two leaders. Several heads of state are expected to hold bilateral discussions on the sidelines.
A Ceasefire in Motion
Diplomatic sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed the summit follows the announcement of a U.S.-, Egypt-, Qatar-, and Turkey-brokered ceasefire — the first phase of a broader agreement that could lead to a complete cessation of hostilities. Additional sources cited by The Wall Street Journal reported plans for a joint task force, made up of the U.S., Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, to locate the remains of Israeli hostages still missing in Gaza.
Hamas has confirmed it will not participate in the summit or attend the formal signing of the ceasefire agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attendance remains uncertain, while the Palestinian Authority has not been officially invited. However, PA President Mahmoud Abbas is said to have requested a separate meeting with President Al-Sisi during the event.
Tight Security in a Tense Region
Security around Sharm El-Sheikh has been significantly reinforced. Military sources report that Egypt has deployed Russian-made Buk-M2E medium-range air defense systems to safeguard the summit from potential aerial threats, including drones and cruise missiles. These systems, with a range of up to 45 kilometers, are part of a broader multi-agency security plan led by Egypt’s intelligence and defense services.
Gaza: Fragile Calm and Ongoing Relief
In Gaza, the ceasefire has entered its third day. Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have begun returning to their homes, amid harrowing scenes of destruction. Israeli authorities have initiated the transfer of Palestinian prisoners slated for release under a new exchange deal. According to Hamas official Osama Hamdan, the exchange is set to begin Monday morning.
Meanwhile, the Rafah crossing is expected to reopen for passenger movement in both directions starting Wednesday.
On Sunday, 400 aid trucks carrying humanitarian supplies entered Gaza through the Rafah, Kerem Shalom, and al-Auja crossings. Field sources estimate that nearly half a million Palestinians have returned to Gaza City alone.
A Turning Point?
The Sharm El-Sheikh summit is widely viewed as the first major test of the fragile ceasefire framework brokered by Cairo, Washington, Doha, and Ankara. It carries the weight of global hopes — not only for an end to Gaza’s longest and deadliest war since 2007 but also for the launch of a credible political process that addresses both reconstruction and long-term security guarantees.
As the world watches, leaders gathering in Sharm El-Sheikh face a daunting challenge: to seize this rare moment of calm and transform it into lasting peace.
