Egypt is hosting a summit tomorrow, Saturday, concerning the Gaza crisis amid escalating fears of a wider war in the Middle East. However, the absence of a senior U.S. official, Israel's main ally, alongside some other leaders, has dampened expectations regarding what the summit can achieve. The hastily convened summit will bring together several heads of state and government from Arab and European countries, as well as foreign ministers.
They will meet as Israel prepares to execute a ground offensive on Gaza following a Hamas attack on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people in Israel. More than 4,100 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli counterattack amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
No statement has been released yet regarding who will represent the United States or whether the major powers China and Russia will attend at all. Egypt has said little about the goals of the summit, aside from a statement issued on October 15 by the Egyptian presidency that mentioned the summit will discuss the latest developments regarding the Gaza crisis and the future of the Palestinian cause.
A European source stated, "There is no specific general idea among the participants yet. A lot is still subject to change."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will not attend, and there has been no official statement on whether French President Emmanuel Macron will participate. A senior EU official mentioned that discussions have taken place about a joint declaration for the summit, but there are still "disagreements," making it unclear if a text will ultimately be released. The official reported that European Council President Charles Michel and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell intend to go to Cairo, but they will be racing against time to arrive on schedule, as both are in Washington today Friday for a U.S.-EU summit.
Arab nations have expressed outrage over Israel's unprecedented bombardment of Gaza and the blockade of the territory, home to 2.3 million people. Clashes along the Israel-Lebanon border and attempts by Iran-backed militants to launch attacks elsewhere have heightened fears regarding the expansion of the conflict, especially if a ground invasion results in heavy casualties while increasing anti-Islamic and anti-Semitic harassment globally raises security concerns in many countries.
European countries are struggling to agree on a unified approach to address the crisis, beyond condemning the Hamas attack, following days of confusion and mixed messages.
Egypt is attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza through the Rafah crossing, but assistance is piling up on the Egyptian side. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stated on Wednesday that millions of Egyptians would oppose any forced displacement of Palestinians to Sinai, adding that such a move would turn the peninsula into a base for launching attacks on Israel. Egypt's position reflects Arab fears of potential Palestinian flight or coercion to leave their homes en masse, reminiscent of the Nakba in 1948 with the establishment of Israel.
Jordan's King Abdullah and Sisi said yesterday that Palestinians should not be forcibly displaced and that Israel is pursuing a "policy of collective punishment" against Gaza's residents by bombing civilians.
Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have stated they will eliminate Hamas in response to its attack. However, eight regional and Western officials knowledgeable about the conflict have said that Israel lacks a clear vision for the endgame and has no concrete plan for governing Gaza afterward. A source in Washington familiar with the matter noted that some aides to U.S. President Joe Biden are concerned that despite Israel likely formulating an effective plan to deal a permanent blow to Hamas, it has not yet devised an exit strategy from the territory.
Egyptian President Sisi is set to open the summit at 10:00 AM tomorrow, Saturday (07:00 GMT).
