London, UK, 2025-10-13

HISTORIC CONVERGENCE AT SHARM EL-SHEIKH:

The diplomatic world’s eyes are fixed on the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, where an unprecedented gathering of global leaders is taking place today for a Peace Summit co-chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The summit, aptly named the ‘Summit for Peace,’ is aimed at transitioning the recently brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release deal into a durable political and economic framework for the post-conflict Gaza Strip, ushering in what many hope will be a ‘historic dawn’ of stability in the Middle East.

The conference has drawn representatives from more than 20 countries spanning the Arab world, Europe, North America, and Asia, underscoring the broad international commitment to supporting the U.S.-backed peace plan. The most significant last-minute development was the confirmation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attendance, a move secured through direct intervention by President Trump shortly before the summit began.

Headline Points

 * Co-Chairs and Conveners: The summit is co-chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, with more than 20 nations confirming high-level participation.

 * Middle East Engagement: Critical regional players attending include the leaders of key mediators and financial backers: the Emir of Qatar, the King of Jordan, and the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also be present.

 * Western Powerhouse: Major European and North American leaders have converged, including the Prime Ministers of the UK, France, Germany, and Italy, signaling a unified commitment from the G7 nations.

 * Netanyahu’s Attendance Confirmed: Despite earlier reports of him not attending due to a religious holiday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed his participation following a last-minute phone call with Presidents Trump and El-Sisi.

 * Non-Participants: Neither the Hamas delegation nor Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will be attending the conference.

A Global Commitment to Stability

The sheer scale of the delegation attending the “Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit” signals the world’s urgent desire to stabilise the region following two years of conflict. The list of attendees includes:

The Core Co-Chairs and Regional Actors:

 * United States: President Donald Trump

 * Egypt: President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (Co-Chairs)

 * Palestine: President Mahmoud Abbas (Palestinian Authority)

 * Jordan: King Abdullah II

 * Qatar: Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

 * Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

 * Bahrain: King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

 * Kuwait: Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Sabah

 * United Arab Emirates: Vice President Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan

European and International Leaders:

A strong presence from major European nations confirms the continent’s dedication to the reconstruction effort and the future security of the area:

 * United Kingdom: Prime Minister Keir Starmer

 * France: President Emmanuel Macron

 * Germany: Chancellor Friedrich Merz

 * Italy: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

 * Spain: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez

 * Canada: Prime Minister Mark Carney

 * Greece: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis

 * Hungary: Prime Minister Viktor Orbán

Asia, Africa, and Global Bodies:

The summit also drew representatives from wider global powers, including Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. India is represented by Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh.

Significantly, all major international organisations involved in the region are present, including:

 * United Nations: Secretary-General António Guterres

 * European Union: European Council President Antonio Costa

 * Arab League: Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit

Last-Minute Diplomatic Coup

The surprise inclusion of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the result of a last-minute phone call with Presidents Trump and El-Sisi while the U.S. President was still in Israel. This reversal of an earlier decision not to attend due to a Jewish holiday is seen as a major diplomatic victory for the U.S. and Egyptian co-chairs, ensuring that both primary parties to the recent conflict—Israel and the Palestinian Authority—are represented at the table to commit to the ceasefire’s future phases.

While the primary conflicting party, the Palestinian group Hamas, was not invited, the presence of its main financial and diplomatic guarantors—Qatar and Turkey—will ensure their perspectives and cooperation are indirectly represented in the talks on the proposed post-war transitional government and international security force. Meanwhile, Iran, a known adversary of Israel and the U.S., was invited but formally declined to attend.

The ‘Summit for Peace’ will now focus on the complex, multi-layered details of the peace plan, including the establishment of an international stabilisation force, the development of Gaza’s economy, and the final border agreements, with the presence of this high-calibre global delegation lending immediate weight to the proceedings.