Saudi Arabia to host Arab summit on Trump’s Gaza proposal

Saudi Arabia is set to host a high-level summit on February 20, bringing together leaders from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to discuss US President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal for Gaza, according to sources familiar with the preparations.

The summit will take place ahead of an Arab League meeting scheduled for February 27 in Cairo, where the issue will also be addressed.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas is expected to attend the discussions in Saudi Arabia.

Trump's proposal, which suggests a US takeover of Gaza and the relocation of its more than two million residents to neighboring countries such as Egypt or Jordan, has drawn intense criticism across the Arab world. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu further fueled tensions by suggesting that Saudi Arabia could also accommodate displaced Palestinians.

For Palestinians, the idea of mass displacement echoes the trauma of the 1948 Nakba (catastrophe), when hundreds of thousands were forced from their homes during the creation of Israel. Arab nations have rejected any proposal that would forcibly move Palestinians out of Gaza.

Trump has reportedly threatened to withdraw crucial US aid from Jordan and Egypt if they refuse to cooperate with the plan. Jordan, home to over two million Palestinian refugees, faces particular pressure given that more than half of its 11 million people are of Palestinian descent.

In contrast to the US proposal, Egypt has put forward its own framework focused on Gaza’s reconstruction while ensuring that Palestinians remain in their homeland.