US pushing for Sisi-Netanyahu meeting to warm up relations: report

• The White House is working to arrange a high-level summit between ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to thaw their strained relations.
• US officials are conditioning the summit on ‘Israel's’ approval of a major natural gas deal with Egypt.

The White House is actively working to arrange a high-level summit between ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, aiming to thaw strained relations amid post-Gaza war recovery efforts - according to Axios.

According to the report, the meeting would focus on economic cooperation, with US officials conditioning the summit on ‘Israel's’ approval of a major natural gas deal with Egypt.

This initiative comes as part of broader US diplomacy under President Trump to foster "warm peace" through interdependence in the Middle East.

Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, has played a key role in advising Netanyahu to shift toward economic diplomacy.

Kushner emphasized that ‘Israel’ should leverage its strengths in technology, AI, natural gas, renewable energy, and water management to build ties with Arab nations, starting with Egypt.

A US official highlighted Egypt's contributions to the Gaza ceasefire and the return of 27 deceased ‘Israeli’ captives, noting that such gestures warrant reciprocal engagement to prevent future conflicts.

The proposed gas agreement is central to the talks, involving ‘Israel’ supplying approximately 25% of Egypt's electricity through a multibillion-dollar deal partnered with US firm Chevron.

El-Sisi approved the deal in July 2025, but Netanyahu has delayed ratification due to domestic politics, preferring to sign it publicly during a summit.

US officials have urged Netanyahu to prepare additional economic incentives, viewing the pact as a model for similar arrangements with Lebanon, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.

Relations between Netanyahu and el-Sisi have been frosty, with no significant high-level contacts for about two years and no talks since before the Gaza war.

Their last public meeting occurred at the UN General Assembly in 2017, though a secret summit took place in 2018 to discuss Gaza issues.

A previous attempt at collaboration faltered in October 2025, when Trump personally called el-Sisi to secure an invitation for Netanyahu to a Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Netanyahu initially agreed but later declined, citing a Jewish holiday, which reportedly upset el-Sisi and complicated the event amid threats from Turkey's President Erdogan to boycott.

The summit proceeded without Netanyahu.

Despite Netanyahu expressing interest in a meeting to Kushner, engagement remains limited, with el-Sisi “being cool on the idea of a meeting,” according to Axios.

In response, Netanyahu has quietly formed a team to develop concrete economic proposals for a potential summit.