(Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not attend Monday's summit on ending the Gaza war in Egypt, his office said, after Cairo had earlier announced he would take part, a prospect that could have been awkward for some confirmed guests.

They believed this out of religious fervor. They believed it because they hoped to inspire Hezbollah and Iran to join the battle with their own full-scale attacks. And they believed that Israel, for all its high-tech wizardry, was weak.

Those claims continued to dog Israel in the second year of its conflict, as civilian casualties in Gaza climbed, mass hunger spread and the IDF repeatedly forced large numbers of Palestinians to relocate. As Israel opened aid routes in July, the IDF said in a statement that that there is "no starvation in Gaza."

A ceasefire in Gaza is raising hopes among many in Israel that the country can begin to repair its image abroad, after months of deepening isolation due to the toll of the two-year conflict.

Under the hostage-prisoner exchange agreement of the cease-fire plan, Israel released about 2,000 prisoners and detainees this week. They represent only a small fraction of the total number of Palestinians held in Israeli facilities. The vast majority are being left to rot.

Israelis are mourning the dead and fearing for the remaining hostages as they mark two years since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack plunged the region into a devastating war.

At state memorial ceremony, premier hails IDF gains, vows return of 'every last hostage,' warns enemies rearming; Herzog rails against resurgent 'polarization'