In order to oppose President Donald Trump’s suggestion for US control of the region and the expulsion of its citizens, Arab officials were meeting in Saudi Arabia on Friday to work out a recovery plan for Gaza.
Although Arab nations have united against Trump’s plan, there are still differences over who should rule the war-torn Palestinian region and how to pay for its repair.
Umer Karim, a Saudi foreign policy expert, described the conference as the “most consequential” in decades for the Palestinian issue and the larger Arab world.
When Trump suggested that the US “take over the Gaza Strip” and move its 2.4 million residents to neighboring Egypt and Jordan, he incited uproar around the world.
Arab officials will talk about “a reconstruction plan to counter Trump’s plan for Gaza,” a source close to the Saudi leadership told AFP.
After more than a year of conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Gaza Strip is essentially in ruins, and the UN has estimated that it would cost more than $53 billion to reconstruct.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II told Trump during their February 11 meeting in Washington that Egypt will provide a roadmap for the future.
The discussions would cover “a version of the Egyptian plan,” according to the Saudi insider.
Along with the six Gulf Cooperation Council members, Egypt and Jordan will attend the Riyadh summit, according to an official verified by the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday.
Additionally, it stated that decisions made during the “unofficial fraternal meeting” will be included in the agenda of the emergency Arab League summit scheduled for March 4 in Egypt.
According to his administration, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi landed in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
The Palestinian Authority would also participate in the negotiations, a Saudi source previously told AFP.
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