CAIRO – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is set to participate in a high-level international summit in Egypt on Monday, aimed at finalizing a long-awaited agreement to end the war in Gaza, his office confirmed.

The meeting, organized by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, will take place in Sharm el-Sheikh and will be attended by former U.S. President Donald Trump and several other world leaders. The summit’s primary goal is to consolidate peace efforts and establish a roadmap for post-war governance in Gaza.

More than 20 heads of state and government are expected to attend the gathering, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. UN Secretary-General António Guterres will also be present.

Trump’s Gaza Peace Proposal and Abbas’s Role

Donald Trump’s 20-point peace framework has opened the possibility of a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA) taking a future administrative role in Gaza. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected the idea of PA involvement.

The Palestinian Authority, governed by the Fatah movement, currently administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. President Abbas, who also heads the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), has consistently emphasized the PA’s legitimacy as the representative body of the Palestinian people.

Last month, Abbas and a delegation of Palestinian officials were barred from attending the UN General Assembly in New York after the U.S. State Department revoked their visas. Addressing the assembly via video link, Abbas reaffirmed his willingness to cooperate with international partners to implement a lasting peace plan—while insisting that Hamas must not govern Gaza and should be fully disarmed.

Ceasefire and Prisoner Exchange Set to Begin

Following three days of indirect negotiations in Egypt, Israel and Hamas approved the first phase of Trump’s peace plan last week. A ceasefire took effect on Friday, paving the way for the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners scheduled for Monday.

Later negotiation rounds will tackle the future governance of Gaza, Israeli troop withdrawal, and the disarmament of Hamas. Both Israel and Hamas have confirmed that they will not attend the Sharm el-Sheikh summit directly.

Summit Aims to End War and Launch Peace Framework

In a statement, President Sisi’s office said the international gathering seeks “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, advance peace and stability across the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security.” Egypt’s foreign ministry added that a “document ending the war in Gaza” is expected to be signed during the meeting.

The summit also coincides with renewed diplomatic activity. Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is expected to serve on a ‘Board of Peace’ overseeing Gaza’s transition under Trump’s plan, met with Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh on Sunday.

Al-Sheikh said the Palestinian Authority is prepared to collaborate with Trump, Blair, and other international stakeholders to facilitate humanitarian aid, secure hostage releases, and launch reconstruction efforts. He also urged that withheld Palestinian revenues be returned and that all sides reaffirm their commitment to the two-state solution as the basis for lasting peace.

Background: The Gaza Conflict

The ongoing Israel-Hamas war erupted after the October 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel, in which around 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 taken hostage. Since then, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reports that over 67,000 Palestinians, including more than 18,000 children, have been killed in Israeli strikes.

As the death toll rises, the Sharm el-Sheikh summit is being viewed as one of the most significant diplomatic efforts yet to halt the bloodshed, rebuild Gaza, and lay the groundwork for a durable peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians.