The Trump administration is quietly working to broker a summit between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Axios reported Sunday, even as Cairo shows little interest in public engagement with Israel’s leadership.
A US official and an Israeli source, both unnamed, told Axios that the White House is prepared to facilitate the meeting—the first between the two leaders since before Israel’s war on Gaza began.
But any such summit appears conditional. Netanyahu must first approve a stalled $35 billion gas deal with Egypt and offer other incentives to persuade El-Sisi.
The gas agreement, meant to extend through 2040, had been shelved by the Israeli government to secure higher export prices and subsidize local costs. Israel now demands Egypt pay more for gas while prices are lowered domestically.
Despite earlier deadlock, recent reporting from Hebrew and Arab outlets indicates rapid progress in negotiations—raising expectations the deal could be finalized soon.
Washington is framing its diplomatic push in economic terms. “This is a huge opportunity for Israel,” a US official told Axios. “Selling gas to Egypt fosters interdependence, warms relations, and helps prevent conflict.”
In recent talks, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and former advisor, urged Netanyahu to show the region that post-war Israel offers more than military aggression. He advised beginning with Egypt, which brokered the Gaza ceasefire and secured the return of 27 of 28 Israeli captives.
“The Egyptians have shown a real commitment to helping Gaza,” a US official said. While Netanyahu has signaled interest in meeting El-Sisi, both American and Israeli sources told Axios that “President El-Sisi has been cold to the idea.”
“There’s been no serious strategic communication between the two governments in the last two years,” the Israeli source added.
Tensions reportedly worsened when Netanyahu reneged on an invitation to attend an October Gaza summit in Sharm El-Sheikh—a move Cairo viewed as a diplomatic slight.
The last public meeting between Sisi and Netanyahu occurred in 2017 at the UN General Assembly. Axios confirmed they held a secret meeting in 2018.
US officials have told Netanyahu he must arrive at the summit with tangible proposals—chiefly the gas deal, which could see Israel provide up to 25% of Egypt’s electricity needs.
The diplomatic climate remains strained. Last Wednesday, Israel claimed it had coordinated with Egypt to reopen the Rafah crossing to allow civilians out of Gaza. Cairo denied this, deepening the rift.
Meanwhile, foreign ministers from Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan issued a joint statement calling for full implementation of the Trump Plan—besides the two-way reopening of Rafah and protection of Palestinians’ right to remain in Gaza.
