U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he has not seen the proposal being discussed by Arab leaders as an alternative to his plan for taking control of Gaza after the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel ends.
Earlier this month, Trump suggested forcibly relocating nearly two million Palestinians from Gaza to Jordan and Egypt. He proposed that the United States would “take control” of the region, transforming it into “the tourism center of the Middle East.” Arab nations have opposed this proposal.
It is unclear whether Trump is serious about the plan or if he is simply attempting to secure concessions from Arab countries, as reported by Voice of America.
During a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh this week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted that this might be an effort to extract concessions from the region’s leaders, urging them to come up with their own proposal.
Representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates will meet this Friday in Riyadh to discuss options, including an Egyptian plan to raise up to $20 billion over the next three years from Arab and Gulf countries to rebuild Gaza.
According to this plan, residents would not be forcibly displaced, and Gaza would continue to be governed by Palestinians.
