Leaders from more than a dozen countries meet in Cairo for Peace Summit to de-escalate Israel-Hamas war

Leaders and top officials from more than a dozen countries have gathered in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, for a conference Summit for Peace to discuss ways to de-escalate the Israel-Hamas war amid growing fears of a wider West Asia conflict.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in his opening remarks invited leaders to come to an agreement for a road map to end the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip and revive a path to peace between Israel and the Palestinians. He said, the roadmap’s goals included the delivery of aid to Gaza and agreeing to a ceasefire, followed by negotiations leading to a two-state solution.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas used his opening remarks to say that Palestinians will not be forced off their land. The absence of any official from the Israeli side dampened expectations for what the summit could achieve.

The meeting also included officials from Jordan, Qatar, Italy, Spain, the EU and UK. But, key notable absentees include Israel, the US and Iran.