Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly canceled plans to attend the upcoming summit on Gaza in Egypt after regional leaders voiced strong opposition to his presence, diplomatic sources told AFP.

The summit, hosted in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, brought together heads of state to discuss the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza. 

Netanyahu had been set to make a rare appearance following a three-way call with US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. However, he cited a “scheduling conflict” and withdrew at the last minute.

Several Arab nations were quick to protest the Israeli leader’s attendance. According to Ali al-Mousawi, adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Iraq informed Egypt it would boycott the summit if Netanyahu appeared.

“Iraq has taken a clear position on this matter... a number of other delegations also announced their intention to withdraw,” Mousawi said.

Diplomatic sources suggest that Egypt then relayed to Netanyahu that he could not be officially received, leading to the cancellation of his trip.

Earlier on Monday, Egypt’s presidency had confirmed Netanyahu’s expected arrival. Within 40 minutes, however, Netanyahu’s office released a statement saying he would not participate due to the Jewish holiday of Simhat Torah.

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Erdogan and others pressured Netanyahu’s withdrawal

A Turkish diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, credited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish diplomacy, backed by other regional leaders, with successfully blocking Netanyahu’s participation.

According to Turkish media, Erdogan was already en route to Sharm El-Sheikh when he was informed of Netanyahu’s likely attendance. His aircraft reportedly circled over the Red Sea until confirmation came that Netanyahu would not be present.

"Several countries panicked at the idea of Netanyahu attending," another anonymous diplomat said. “Many leaders did not want to be seen or photographed with him.”

US pressure vs regional resistance

Netanyahu had been encouraged to attend the summit by Trump, who reportedly pressured both the Israeli and Egyptian sides. Sisi, however, was said to be reluctant to appear in open disagreement with Washington.

Ultimately, strong regional resistance prevailed, marking a significant moment in Egypt’s Gaza diplomacy and further isolating "Israel" amid accusations of war crimes and genocide in Gaza.