Palestinian Authority Leader to Attend 'Gaza Summit'

Israel and Hamas to Skip Summit
Iran Declines Invitation

The BBC reported on the 12th (local time) that Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), is also scheduled to attend a summit on the Gaza ceasefire, which will be co-hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Photo by AP Yonhap News

According to the BBC, Abbas's office announced that he will attend the summit for peace in Gaza, which will be held on the 13th (local time) in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Sheikh. The Palestinian Authority is a rival faction to the armed group Hamas, which has fought wars with Israel, and currently controls parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Authority's decision to attend the Gaza peace summit appears to be motivated by its expectation of expanding its role in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. The peace plan to end the Gaza war, proposed by President Trump on September 29, states that "if the reconstruction of Gaza proceeds and the PA's reform program is faithfully implemented, a path toward Palestinian self-determination and statehood could be established." In this regard, the BBC analyzed that "although Israel opposes it, President Trump's Gaza peace plan leaves open the possibility for the PA to play a role."

Meanwhile, Iran declined an invitation to attend the Gaza peace summit, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency. Sources said that Iran received an official invitation to participate in the summit but will not send a delegation to Egypt.

Neither Israel nor Hamas, both parties to the ceasefire agreement, will attend the event. Leaders from more than 20 countries, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, plan to attend the meeting to express support for the contents of the ceasefire agreement.