Donald Trump’s last-minute plan to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a multinational Gaza summit in Egypt was abruptly scrapped after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned he would refuse to land in Sharm el-Sheikh if Netanyahu attended.

The diplomatic standoff unfolded mid-air after it was announced that Netanyahu had accepted a late invitation from Trump to join the summit, which was co-chaired by the U.S. president and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Trump had reportedly finalized Netanyahu’s participation in a Monday morning phone call with Sisi. However, Erdoğan—already en route to Egypt—raised strong objections from his plane, speaking directly with Sisi to express his disapproval.

According to a statement from Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli leader thanked Trump for the invitation but declined to attend, citing the event’s proximity to a religious holiday.

The Israeli prime minister also faced internal backlash, as several far-right members of his coalition threatened to resign if he took part. Netanyahu’s attendance would have been highly controversial given the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants against him for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Though Egypt is not a party to the ICC, his participation would have angered Arab states that have not normalized relations with Israel.

More than 20 world leaders were expected to attend the hastily arranged conference aimed at stabilizing Gaza following a ceasefire deal. The dispute over Netanyahu’s presence underscores the deep divisions that still hinder Trump’s push for broader normalization between Israel and Muslim-majority nations.

For Erdoğan, any images of him engaging with Netanyahu would have been politically disastrous at home and could have undermined Turkey’s potential role in the proposed international security force for Gaza. The Turkish president has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.