According to Saudi state news agency SPA, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has invited Egypt’s and Jordan’s leaders to the meeting in Riyadh’s capital.
The meeting will be unofficial and take place “in the framework of the close brotherly relations that bring the leaders together,” according to SPA.
Trump’s plan has united Arab states in opposition, but disagreements remain over who should govern the enclave and how to fund its reconstruction.
Umer Karim, an expert on Saudi foreign policy, called the summit the “most consequential” in decades for the wider Arab world and the Palestinian issue.
Trump’s proposal to “take over the Gaza Strip” and the displacement of its 2.4 million residents to neighboring Egypt and Jordan sparked outcry from the rest of the world.
According to SPA, the upcoming emergency Arab summit will address joint Arab action and the decisions made regarding it, and it will include the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt’s agenda, referring to plans for an emergency summit on March 4 to discuss Israel and Palestine.
King Abdullah II of Jordan, who met Trump in Washington on February 11, promised to discuss a course of action with Egypt.
According to a Saudi security source, the king’s king mentioned “a version of the Egyptian plan.”
A new political track?
After Trump cited reconstruction needs as justification for relocating its population, reestablishing Gaza will be a crucial issue.
Cairo has not yet made its announcement, but former Egyptian diplomat Mohamed Hegazy laid out a strategy “in three technical phases over a three to five year period.”
The first, lasting six months, would focus on “early recovery”, said Hegazy, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, a think tank with strong ties to decision-making circles in Cairo.
Hegazy stated that heavy equipment will be used to remove debris in Gaza while designated safe areas will be established to temporarily relocate residents.
He claimed that the second phase would call for a global conference to provide reconstruction information and that the main focus would be on recovering utility infrastructure.
The final phase will manage Gaza’s urban planning, the construction of new housing units, and the provision of healthcare and education services.
On Tuesday, the UN estimated that rebuilding would cost more than $ 53 billion, including more than $ 20 billion in the first three years.
Source: Aljazeera
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