The leaders of Gulf Arab states are anticipated to strategize with their Egyptian and Jordanian counterparts on Friday in an effort to counter President Trump’s controversial proposal to redevelop Gaza beneath U.S. management and displace its Palestinian residents.
The assembly within the Saudi capital, Riyadh, is in preparation for a broader Arab League summit in Egypt on March 4.
Mr. Trump’s suggestion final month that america may take management of Gaza, develop it into the “Riviera of the Center East,” and relocate its Palestinian residents to neighboring international locations like Egypt and Jordan was met with astonishment and outrage throughout the Arab world. His aides then reframed it as a problem to leaders of the Center East to provide you with a greater various.
“All these international locations say how a lot they care concerning the Palestinians,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated final week. “If the Arab international locations have a greater plan, then that’s nice.”
Now, Arab governments are in rushed consultations to do exactly that.
Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have been working collectively to forge an alternate concept for Gaza by which Arab international locations would assist fund and oversee reconstruction, whereas preserving the 2 million Palestinian residents in place and preserving the potential for a Palestinian state, according to diplomats and officials briefed on the efforts.
There have been plenty of audacious plans floated for the day after in Gaza, however none have actually gained traction. The newest one got here from Emirati actual property magnate, Khalaf al-Habtoor, who offered an ambitious blueprint aimed toward rebuilding the enclave inside a “matter of years, not many years.”
However a key sticking level stays the query of postwar governance in Gaza.
A proposed Egyptian plan would probably embrace the formation of a committee of Palestinian technocrats and neighborhood leaders, all unaffiliated with Hamas, who might run Gaza after the warfare.
However Israeli leaders have stated they’d oppose any postwar plans that may pave the best way to Palestinian sovereignty. Arab leaders insist they’d solely assist a proposal that no less than nominally forges a path towards Palestinian statehood.
For any Arab technique on the governance of Gaza, the Arab leaders would need the blessing of the Palestinian Authority, the internationally acknowledged physique that administered Gaza till Hamas wrested management of the territory practically 20 years in the past.
However the authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, has appeared cautious of any plan that doesn’t give him full management of Gaza.
Hamas officers have stated they’d be prepared to cede management over civilian affairs to a different energy however have refused thus far to say they’d disband their army wing, an unacceptable place for each Israel and Mr. Trump.
All six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council are anticipated to attend the assembly in Riyadh on Friday together with Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The Egyptian chief was anticipated in Riyadh on Thursday for preliminary talks with the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
Talking to reporters on Wednesday earlier than his departure for Saudi Arabia, Mr. el-Sisi bolstered the concept that Egypt’s proposals would “not contain forcible displacement” of Palestinians.
The Arab plan will give attention to concepts that maintain Palestinians inside Gaza to counter Mr. Trump name’s for Egypt and Jordan to take them in, an concept Arab international locations have all rejected. Many within the Arab world would take into account any compelled displacement of Palestinians from Gaza an ethnic cleaning and a warfare crime in addition to a dying knell for any future Palestinian state.
Some international locations, like Jordan and Egypt, may also be involved that elevated Palestinian migration might create financial and political disruptions at house.
Talking at an funding discussion board hosted by Saudi Arabia in Miami on Thursday, Mr. Trump’s envoy to the Center East, Steve Witkoff, stated the president’s plan for Gaza was not about evicting Palestinians, however about shaking up present pondering and enhancing prospects for the Palestinian individuals.
“He’s engendered this dialogue all through the whole Arab world,” Mr. Witkoff stated. “You’ve acquired various kinds of options than earlier than he talked about this.”
Any plan for Gaza may even must keep in mind the necessity to stop future assaults on Israel. There are additionally the questions of who would pay for reconstruction and whether or not Arab international locations would ship forces to maintain Gaza steady.
Whereas Egypt has but to release full details of its proposal, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly stated on Wednesday that Cairo is engaged on a complete plan for Gaza’s reconstruction which envisions restoring the enclave inside three years, in accordance with Ahram On-line, an Egyptian state-run information outlet.
Riyadh has been taking part in a crucial diplomatic role this week, internet hosting U.S., Russian and Arab officers for high-stakes talks on the wars in each Ukraine and Gaza.
Vivian Yee contributed reporting from Cairo, Egypt.
