Sharm el-sheikh: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that he will not be attending the international peace summit on Gaza, set to take place in Egypt's Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

According to Anadolu Agency, a statement from Netanyahu's office confirmed that the prime minister had received an invitation from US President Donald Trump to participate in the summit scheduled for Monday.

The statement elaborated that Netanyahu expressed his gratitude towards President Trump for the invitation but cited the event's proximity to the start of a holiday as the reason for his inability to attend. Netanyahu also acknowledged Trump's efforts in expanding the "circle of peace - peace through strength."

The Egyptian presidency has corroborated that Netanyahu will not be present at the summit. Egypt had initially announced that both Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were expected to participate in the peace summit, which aims to consolidate a ceasefire agreement to halt the conflict in Gaza and affirm their commitment to peace.

More than 20 world leaders are anticipated to attend the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The summit's objectives include ending the war in the Gaza Strip, advancing efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and initiating a new phase of regional security and stability.

The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement began on Friday under Trump's plan to end the two-year-long Israeli conflict in the enclave. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of over 67,800 Palestinians in Gaza, predominantly women and children, rendering the area largely uninhabitable.