Riyadh is set to host a summit on February 20, bringing together five Arab countries to develop a common response to Donald Trump’s plan, which envisions emptying Gaza of its inhabitants and rebuilding the territory under U.S. control, a Saudi source told AFP on Friday.
This summit, which will gather the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Jordan, as well as the Palestinian Authority, "is expected to thoroughly examine Trump’s plan and formulate an Arab response," the source stated.
It will take place just days before another summit scheduled for February 27 in Egypt, according to another source close to the Saudi government.
The meeting in Riyadh will highlight the rejection of any "displacement of Gazans" and their "transfer" outside the territory, the same source said.
The source, who requested anonymity, added that the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, or his Prime Minister, Mohammad Mustafa, would attend the Riyadh summit.
Former real estate developer and U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed placing Gaza under U.S. control and expelling its residents to transform it into a "French Riviera of the Middle East," where Palestinians would be denied the right to return.
Arab countries have unanimously rejected this plan, which envisions relocating Gaza’s population primarily to Jordan and Egypt.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Thursday that the United States was open to Arab countries' proposals regarding Gaza following Trump’s plan.
Speaking ahead of a Middle East tour, he expressed hope of discussing these ideas during his visits to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel, following talks with Egyptian and Jordanian leaders in Washington.
With AFP
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