A last-minute invitation extended by US President Donald Trump to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a multinational Gaza summit in Egypt was suddenly canceled after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to withdraw from the event if Netanyahu was in attendance, according to a report by The Guardian.
The high-level summit, co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh, was intended to gather over 20 world leaders to discuss the escalating crisis in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s participation had reportedly been confirmed during a phone conversation between Trump and Sisi on Monday morning.
However, diplomatic tensions escalated mid-flight when Erdogan, while en route to the summit, made it clear that he would “not land his plane in Sharm el-Sheikh if the invitation remained” for the Israeli leader, the report added.
According to the report, it is still uncertain whether Erdogan’s objection directly resulted in Netanyahu’s withdrawal, but sources have confirmed that he expressed his concerns to Sisi from his aircraft while flying over Egypt.
The office of the Israeli prime minister issued a statement clarifying the decision to withdraw from the summit.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu was invited by US President Trump to take part in a conference occurring today in Egypt. The prime minister expressed his gratitude to President Trump for the invitation but indicated that he would be unable to attend due to the timing of the event coinciding with the start of the holiday,” the statement read.
The political repercussions were not confined to diplomatic tensions alone.
Far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition had threatened to resign if he participated in the summit, highlighting divisions within Israel’s government amid growing international pressure regarding its military actions in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s presence would also have created a diplomatic challenge for several Arab nations.
Despite Egypt’s lack of signature on the International Criminal Court, the Israeli leader faces ICC arrest warrants for purported war crimes in Gaza — a situation that could render his attendance at the summit especially controversial among nations that have yet to establish normalized relations with Israel.
This event signifies a significant shift in the already unstable diplomatic environment related to the Gaza conflict and highlights the delicate alliances and conflicting interests present in the region.
