CAIRO: Arab foreign ministers met behind closed doors in Cairo on Monday ahead of an extraordinary Arab League summit focused on a plan to counter US President Donald Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza and expel its residents.
The ministers held a “preparatory and consultative” session centered on an Arab plan to reconstruct the war-battered enclave without displacing its 2.4 million residents, a source at the Arab League told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The meeting was closed to the press, the source said, adding that the plan “would be presented to Arab leaders at Tuesday’s summit for approval.”
Ahead of the session, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate meetings with Arab counterparts, including from Jordan, Bahrain, Tunisia, Iraq and Yemen, as well as the Palestinian top diplomat.
During the meetings, Abdelatty called for “moving forward with early recovery projects” in Gaza without displacing Palestinians, an Egyptian foreign ministry statement said.
Trump triggered global outrage when he floated a plan for the United States to “take over” the Gaza Strip and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” while forcing its Palestinian residents to relocate to Egypt and Jordan.
The plan has united Arab countries in opposition, with Riyadh hosting a consultative meeting of Arab leaders last month to discuss “joint efforts in support of the Palestinian cause.”
At a news conference in Cairo on Sunday, Abdelatty said the Gaza reconstruction plan was ready and would be presented to Arab leaders at the summit in Cairo for approval.
Trump has recently appeared to soften his stance on the plan.
“I think that’s a plan that really works, but I’m not forcing it,” Trump said. “I’m just gonna sit back and recommend it.”
Arab top diplomats hold closed-door talks over post-war Gaza
https://arab.news/5hx2q
Arab top diplomats hold closed-door talks over post-war Gaza
- Summit focused on a plan to counter US President Donald Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza and expel its residents
- Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate meetings with Arab counterparts
GCC, EU foreign ministers to hold emergency meeting on Iran attacks
DUBAI: Foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union are set to hold an emergency ministerial meeting on Thursday to discuss the implications of Iranian attacks on GCC states and the wider regional developments.
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said the meeting will bring together foreign ministers from the GCC and EU member states.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, will also participate via videoconference.
Albudaiwi said the talks will address the consequences of what he described as Iranian aggression against GCC states and its broader impact on regional and global security.
He added that the GCC, through coordination with regional and international partners, aims to condemn attacks targeting civilians, infrastructure and diplomatic premises in member states.
The meeting will also call on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities to stop the war and support regional and international stability, he said.
