Over 20 World Leaders to Attend Middle East Peace Summit in Sharm El Sheikh

U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are set to co-host a landmark summit in Sharm El Sheikh on Monday, bringing together more than 20 world leaders in a bid to end the conflict in Gaza and chart a new course for regional peace.

The meeting follows Trump’s visit to Israel, where he addressed the Knesset and met with families of hostages. According to a statement from the Egyptian presidency, the summit aims “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 cooperation.”

The high-profile gathering comes amid cautious optimism over the current ceasefire and hostage release deal, with discussions expected to focus on maintaining its momentum and aligning future steps with Trump’s proposed 20-point peace plan.

Key Participants

Donald Trump (United States)
The U.S. president will use the summit to push forward his peace agenda, focusing on Gaza’s post-war governance and the future of Hamas, whose fate remains undecided. Declaring “the war is over,” Trump told reporters on Sunday that his plan marks “a turning point for peace in the Middle East.”

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Egypt)
Egypt has been a central mediator between Israel and Hamas throughout the two-year conflict. Hosting the summit underscores Cairo’s role as a stabilizing regional force. According to diplomatic sources, al-Sisi’s invitation for Trump to take a “victory lap” in the region aims to reinforce the ceasefire’s durability.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (Qatar)
Qatar’s Emir is among those urging continued U.S. engagement, believing Trump’s direct involvement could ensure long-term success of the peace framework.

Mahmoud Abbas (Palestinian Authority)
While Trump’s peace plan leaves the door open for a limited role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza—conditional on internal reforms—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly opposed such participation.

Other Attendees

The guest list reflects the global significance of the meeting, featuring:

• Emmanuel Macron (France)

• Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Turkey)

• Keir Starmer (United Kingdom)

• Pedro Sánchez (Spain)

• Giorgia Meloni (Italy)

• Antonio Costa (European Council)

• António Guterres (United Nations)

• Ahmed Aboul Gheit (Arab League)

• King Abdullah II (Jordan)

• Ahmad Al Abdullah Al Sabah (Kuwait)

• King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (Bahrain)

• Prabowo Subianto (Indonesia)

• Ilham Aliyev (Azerbaijan)

• Friedrich Merz (Germany)

• Kyriakos Mitsotakis (Greece)

• Nikol Pashinyan (Armenia)

• Viktor Orbán (Hungary)

• Shehbaz Sharif (Pakistan)

• Mark Carney (Canada)

• Jonas Gahr Støre (Norway)

• Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (Iraq)

Who Will Not Attend

Israel:
No Israeli officials will be present. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel will not send a delegation to Sharm El Sheikh.

Hamas:
Representatives from Hamas also declined participation, stating the group “will not be involved” and would continue to rely on Qatari and Egyptian mediation.

Iran:
Despite an invitation, Iran confirmed neither President Masoud Pezeshkian nor Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi would attend. In a post on X, Araghchi wrote:

“Neither President Pezeshkian nor I can engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian people and continue to threaten and sanction us.”

The decision follows U.S.-Israeli airstrikes that targeted Iranian nuclear facilities during a brief 12-day conflict in June.

As world leaders converge in Egypt, expectations are high that the summit could lay the foundation for a new regional framework — one that seeks to balance peace, reconstruction, and political transition in the post-war Gaza landscape.