The bodies of 13 deceased hostages are believed to still be in Gaza.
U.S. officials -- including Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner -- traveled to Israel this week for high-level meetings, discussing the next steps in the delicate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Israel has accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire deal by withholding the bodies of the remaining 13 deceased hostages thought to have died during or after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas has said the return of the remaining bodies "may take some time" due to the destruction.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “no American president has ever done more for Israel” than President Donald Trump when he addressed the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, on Monday, with Trump looking on.
“You are committed to this peace, I am committed to this peace … we will achieve this peace,” Netanyahu said to Trump.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend Monday’s international peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, according to the Prime Minister's Office.
Netanyahu thanked President Donald Trump for inviting him, "but said that he would not be able to participate due to the proximity of the holiday," the Prime Minister's Office said.
Monday night to Wednesday night marks the holidays of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.
"The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for his efforts to expand the circle of peace - peace through strength," the Prime Minister's Office added.
The Egyptian presidency said earlier that Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas would both attend the summit.
Egypt is hosting the summit, co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and President Donald Trump, the spokesman of Egyptian presidency said.
The gathering will be attended by leaders from more than 20 countries, the statement said. The summit aims “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability."
President Donald Trump was greeted with a standing ovation from Israel’s parliament as he entered the room for his address.
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the families of hostages before Trump’s address to the Knesset.
