Erdoğan refused to land in Sharm el-Sheikh amid reports Netanyahu will attend Gaza summit

US President Donald Trump’s plan to bring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a multinational Gaza summit in Egypt was abruptly dropped after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan refused to attend if Netanyahu participated.

The diplomatic standoff unfolded mid-air on Monday, when Erdoğan reportedly said he would not land his plane in Sharm el-Sheikh if the Israeli leader’s invitation remained in place. The summit, co-chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, was aimed at discussing the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

According to reports, Netanyahu had accepted a last-minute invitation from Trump following a phone call with President Sisi earlier in the day. However, after Erdoğan voiced his objections from his plane flying over Egyptian airspace, Netanyahu’s plans quickly changed.

A statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office confirmed that Netanyahu had been invited to the summit but declined to attend, citing the event’s timing close to a Jewish holiday.

Meanwhile, pressure was also mounting within Netanyahu’s own government, as members of his far-right coalition had warned they would resign if he took part in the meeting alongside regional leaders.

The episode underscored the deep regional divisions over Israel’s role in the Gaza conflict — and the delicate diplomacy surrounding efforts to bring key Middle Eastern leaders to the same table.