President Sisi hosts global leaders for critical Gaza peace dialogue

On Monday, global attention will turn to Sharm el-Sheikh, as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump co-chair a high-level peace summit aimed at ending the war in Gaza. 

The summit, attended by leaders from over 20 countries and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, marks a critical moment for the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

It is, without question, a major diplomatic win for Egypt. A longtime mediator between Israel and Hamas, Cairo has now positioned itself—rather than Doha—as the central hub of regional diplomacy.

While Qatar has also served as a key mediator and remains a long-time backer of Hamas, Egypt’s posture is notably different. 

Cairo has no sympathy for Hamas, a known offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood—a movement the Sisi government views as a direct threat to national stability. In contrast, both Qatar and Turkey maintain close ties with the Brotherhood and have often taken a more lenient approach to Hamas.

The summit is also politically strategic for President al-Sisi. By assembling a wide array of international leaders—even those who opposed or undermined Trump’s peace initiative, such as France and Spain—he strengthens Egypt’s image as a central actor in the Middle East peace process. Their presence may be diplomatically ironic, but for Sisi, the symbolism of unity around the table outweighs past frictions.

At the core of this diplomatic theater lies a crucial challenge: ensuring that Hamas abides by its commitments. The reliability of the organization remains questionable, and Egypt’s leadership is crucial in holding the group accountable before the eyes of the international community.

With regional dynamics shifting and war fatigue setting in, Monday’s summit could be a turning point—or just another round of high-stakes diplomacy. Either way, one thing is clear: for now, Egypt—not Qatar—is at the center of the world stage.