Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend next week’s Gaza Board of Peace summit in Washington, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar set to represent Israel instead, officials said.
Netanyahu’s office announced Wednesday, during his visit to the United States, that he would not travel to the summit and would participate remotely in the annual policy conference of AIPAC. Both events were seen as politically sensitive for the prime minister.
At the AIPAC conference, Netanyahu had been expected to speak alongside opposition leader Yair Lapid. The Gaza Board of Peace includes a number of Arab and Muslim leaders and senior officials, including representatives from Turkey and Qatar.
Sa'ar’s participation comes amid concerns in Jerusalem about possible external pressure to impose a Gaza settlement under terms the government views as unfavorable.
Last month, after the names of members of the Gaza Executive Board were made public — including officials from Turkey and Egypt — Netanyahu’s office said the composition had not been coordinated with Israel and ran counter to its policy. The prime minister instructed Sa'ar at the time to raise the issue with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The summit is scheduled for Thursday. According to Reuters, U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce a multibillion-dollar reconstruction plan for Gaza and outline proposals for a UN-authorized stabilization force for the Palestinian enclave.
Delegations from at least 20 countries are expected to attend, including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. One official described contributions to the reconstruction effort as “generous,” adding that the United States had not formally requested donations. “People came to us and offered,” the official said.
Trump is also expected to announce that several countries plan to provide thousands of troops to the stabilization force, which could be deployed in Gaza in the coming months, officials told Reuters.
A key concern is the disarmament of Hamas fighters, who have shown resistance to relinquishing their weapons. Under Trump’s Gaza plan, members of the terrorist group who commit to peaceful coexistence and disarmament would be granted amnesty, while those seeking to leave Gaza would be given safe passage to host countries.
The summit will also include detailed briefings on the work of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, established to replace Hamas in the territory’s day-to-day civilian governance. The committee announced its members and held its first meeting in January.
Additional updates are expected on humanitarian aid to Gaza and on plans to establish a local police force in the enclave.