Sharm el-Sheikh tragedy casts shadow over crucial international talks
Three diplomats from Qatar were killed and two others injured in a road accident near the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, as they were travelling to attend Monday’s high-profile international summit on Gaza, according to Egyptian security sources cited by Reuters.
The diplomats were part of Qatar’s mediation team, working alongside Egyptian officials in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas over the initial phase of the US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan for Gaza. The summit, hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and co-chaired by President Trump, is expected to bring together leaders and foreign ministers from over 20 nations to finalise the end of the Gaza war and chart a political path toward lasting stability.
The accident reportedly occurred late Saturday evening when the diplomatic convoy lost control along the coastal highway leading into Sharm el-Sheikh. Emergency services arrived swiftly, but three Qatari envoys were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others were transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry has yet to issue an official statement, but diplomatic sources in Doha confirmed that the victims were senior members of the country’s delegation responsible for Gaza ceasefire coordination.
The tragedy comes at a particularly sensitive moment in Middle Eastern diplomacy, with Qatar playing a pivotal role as a mediator in the ongoing ceasefire process. It remains unclear whether the loss of these officials will affect Qatar’s participation in Monday’s summit.
The upcoming conference in Sharm el-Sheikh aims to consolidate ceasefire guarantees and lay the groundwork for humanitarian reconstruction in Gaza, following weeks of international pressure for a durable peace settlement.
