Arab Leaders Discuss Gaza Reconstruction Strategy
RIYADH: Arab leaders convened in Riyadh on Friday to formulate a strategy for Gaza’s post-war rebuilding, aiming to counter a proposal by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which suggested U.S. control over the region without its Palestinian residents.
While Trump’s plan has unified Arab nations in opposition, disagreements persist regarding governance and financial support for reconstruction efforts.
A photograph broadcasted by Saudi state television depicted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman alongside leaders from Gulf Arab states, Egypt, and Jordan.
A source close to the Saudi government confirmed the meeting had concluded, though an official statement was not immediately released.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s office announced his departure from Riyadh following discussions with leaders from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
According to a Saudi source, representatives from the Palestinian Authority—Hamas’s political rival based in the West Bank—were also anticipated to participate in the talks.
Trump’s proposal to relocate Gaza’s more than two million residents to Egypt and Jordan sparked international condemnation.
“We are at a critical historical moment in the Arab-Israeli or Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where the Trump administration could establish irreversible new realities on the ground,” said Andreas Krieg of King’s College London ahead of the summit.
The Saudi source further stated that summit participants were exploring a reconstruction initiative to counter Trump’s proposed plan for Gaza.
