Cairo, 8 February 2025: Egypt said it had been in contact with Arab partners, including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, to reinforce the region’s rejection of any displacement of Palestinians after former US President Donald Trump suggested they should leave Gaza, Reuters reports.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty had spoken with counterparts from 11 nations, emphasizing “the constants of the Arab position on the Palestinian cause, rejecting any measures aimed at displacing the Palestinian people from their land or encouraging their transfer to other countries outside the Palestinian territories,” a statement said.
Trump proposed that the US take control of Gaza from Israel and transform it into a “Riviera of the Middle East” after resettling Palestinians elsewhere, including in Egypt and Jordan. However, Arab nations advocate for a two-state solution, with a separate Palestinian homeland alongside Israel.
Forcibly moving Palestinians would constitute a “flagrant violation of international law, an infringement on Palestinian rights, a threat to security and stability in the region, and an undermining of opportunities for peace and coexistence,” Egypt’s statement said.
Instead, Egypt and other Arab nations are exploring ways to rebuild Gaza after Israel’s military campaign devastated the Strip in response to Hamas’ October 7, 2023, cross-border attack on Israel.
Egyptian security sources told Reuters that the nation’s presidency, military, and intelligence were united in rejecting Trump’s plan despite internal disagreements on how to respond. President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has said Egyptians would take to the streets to oppose resettling Palestinians.
Egypt, a key US ally in the region, has played a crucial role in brokering ceasefires in Gaza alongside Qatar and the US.
