JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he will not attend the international peace summit on Gaza taking place in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office said he was invited by U.S. President Donald Trump to attend the summit but declined “due to the proximity of the event to the start of the holiday.”

“The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for his invitation but stated that he would not be able to attend,” the statement said, adding that Netanyahu expressed gratitude to Trump “for his efforts to expand the circle of peace — peace through strength.”

The Egyptian presidency also confirmed that Netanyahu would not participate in the gathering.

Earlier, Egypt had said both Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were expected to attend the summit “to consolidate the ceasefire agreement to stop the war in Gaza and confirm their commitment to it.”

More than 20 world leaders are expected to take part in the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

According to Egypt, the meeting aims “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to bring peace and stability to the Middle East, and usher in a new phase of regional security and stability.”

The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect Friday under Trump’s plan to end Israel’s two-year war on the enclave.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 67,800 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, leaving the territory largely uninhabitable. — Agencies