Netanyahu Withdraws from Controversial Summit on Gaza War in Egypt

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided not to attend a high-stakes summit aimed at ending the Gaza war, originally scheduled to take place in Egypt on Monday. The decision came after Egypt prematurely announced Netanyahu's attendance, which could have caused unease among some of the confirmed guests.

Netanyahu's office released a statement indicating that the Prime Minister had been invited by U.S. President Donald Trump to participate in the meeting of world leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh. However, Netanyahu declined the invitation, citing the timing's conflict with the beginning of a Jewish holiday. Despite not attending, Netanyahu expressed gratitude to President Trump for his invitation and efforts to broaden peace initiatives.

The summit, which was expected to be attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other world leaders, faced pushback concerning Netanyahu's potential attendance. A Turkish official disclosed that President Tayyip Erdogan, with backing from unspecified leaders, diplomatically opposed the idea. Turkey, critical of Israel's Gaza operations, participated in recent negotiations over Trump's peace plan.

(With inputs from agencies.)