By Joke Kujenya
PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend the planned peace summit in Egypt, his office announced Monday, citing observance of the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah.
The statement followed an earlier declaration by Egypt’s presidency that Netanyahu was expected to join the high-level meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh alongside United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other world leaders to discuss post-war arrangements for Gaza.
Netanyahu’s office clarified that the prime minister’s absence was due to the overlap with Simchat Torah, which concludes the week-long Sukkot festival.
The holiday, deeply significant in Jewish tradition, coincides with the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered the two-year Israel-Hamas war.
Jewish holidays follow the lunar calendar, and Simchat Torah this year falls on the summit date.
“The prime minister will remain in Israel for the duration of the holiday,” the statement said, without specifying whether he would participate in discussions by remote link.
The Egyptian presidency had earlier announced Netanyahu’s attendance, describing the summit as part of the diplomatic follow-up to the ceasefire agreement brokered by Washington.
The Sharm el-Sheikh summit, hosted by President al-Sisi, is expected to focus on implementing the next phases of the Trump-initiated 20-point peace plan, including Gaza’s reconstruction, security guarantees for Israel, and a framework for renewed political dialogue.
Netanyahu’s decision comes on a day of shifting developments across the region.
Hours earlier, Hamas released the final 20 surviving hostages from Gaza as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal, while Israel began releasing more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
The exchange marked the first tangible step in the ceasefire that paused two years of war and devastation in the enclave.
“The release of every hostage is a moving day for our people,” Netanyahu said during remarks to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset.
Sitting beside U.S. President Donald Trump, he expressed gratitude for Washington’s role in mediating the truce.
“We have been waiting for this moment. Donald Trump is the greatest friend that the State of Israel has ever had in the White House.”
Trump addressed the Knesset shortly after the hostage releases were confirmed, calling it “a historic dawn of a new Middle East” and vowing continued U.S. engagement in Gaza’s recovery.
Meanwhile, crowds in Ramallah and Gaza City welcomed buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli custody.
The exchange, coordinated under international supervision, has fuelled cautious optimism for an extended truce and accelerated humanitarian relief for Gaza’s civilians.
What a relief! We’ll continue to pray for global peace deals.
Hopefully so. Many thanks.