Neither Hamas Nor Israel Will Attend World Summit in Egypt on Gaza

World leaders will convene Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for a high-profile summit on Gaza — but neither Israel nor Hamas will be in attendance.

French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have confirmed their participation, joining UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The conference will be chaired by President Donald Trump alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

According to Axios, Israel was not invited to the talks, even as several of the attending nations, including the United Kingdom, Spain and France, have become increasingly antagonistic toward Jerusalem. Despite the summit’s stated goal of shaping Gaza’s future, the country most affected by the conflict will have no representation.

Macron has tried to position himself as a leading voice in the Israeli-Palestinian issue, spearheading a European effort to recognize a Palestinian state, a move opposed by both Israel and the United States.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of Israel’s most outspoken critics, will also attend. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently condemned a pro-Palestinian flotilla that attempted to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver what she called “a symbolic quantity” of aid.

The summit will take place the same day that the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas is expected to begin, which further underscores the irony of holding a “Gaza peace” conference without Israel’s involvement.

Hamas has likewise not been invited to attend. “We will not be involved,” said Hossam Badran, a member of the group’s political bureau, in an interview with AFP. He added that in prior negotiations, Hamas “acted principally through… Qatari and Egyptian mediators.”