Arab leaders prepare to convene in response to Trump’s Gaza plan
Saudi Arabia has announced that the closed-door summit in Riyadh will be held on friday
Arab leaders are set to convene on Friday in Saudi Arabia to strategize against U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for U.S. control over the besieged and war-torn Gaza Strip and the displacement of its residents, according to diplomatic and government sources.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has invited leaders from Gulf Arab nations, Egypt, and Jordan to an informal meeting in Riyadh, as reported by Saudi state news agency SPA. The gathering, SPA noted, will take place within the framework of the “close brotherly relations” among the participating leaders.
Trump’s plan has unified Arab nations in opposition, yet divisions persist regarding who should govern Gaza and how its reconstruction should be financed.
Umer Karim, an expert in Saudi foreign policy, described the summit as one of the most significant in decades for the Arab world and the Palestinian cause.
Trump sparked global condemnation with his proposal for the U.S. to "take control of Gaza" and relocate its 2.4 million residents to neighboring Egypt and Jordan.
“As for joint Arab action and the decisions that will be taken, they will be discussed at the upcoming emergency Arab summit in the Arab Republic of Egypt,” SPA stated, referring to the planned summit on March 4 to address the Israel-Palestine issue.
During a meeting with Trump in Washington on February 11, Jordan’s King Abdullah II indicated that Egypt would present a plan for the way forward.
A Saudi security source confirmed that discussions would revolve around “a version of the Egyptian plan” mentioned by King Abdullah.
A New Political Framework?
Reconstructing Gaza will be a key agenda item, as Trump has cited the region’s rebuilding needs as justification for relocating its population.
While Cairo has yet to announce an official proposal, former Egyptian diplomat Mohamed Hegazy outlined a three-phase plan spanning three to five years.
The initial six-month phase would focus on “early recovery,” involving debris removal and the establishment of designated safe zones within Gaza for temporarily relocating residents, according to Hegazy, who is a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, a think tank with strong ties to decision-making circles in Cairo.
The second phase would entail an international conference to outline the reconstruction process, prioritizing the restoration of essential infrastructure.
“The final phase will oversee urban planning, the construction of housing units, and the provision of education and healthcare services,” Hegazy explained.
The United Nations estimated on Tuesday that the cost of rebuilding Gaza would exceed $53 billion, including more than $20 billion required within the first three years.
The final stage, Hegazy noted, would involve launching a political process aimed at implementing the two-state solution, ensuring a sustainable peace framework.
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