Washington: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday that Arab states strongly oppose U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to displace Palestinians in Gaza and assume control over the enclave.
In a meeting in Washington, Abdelatty underscored the urgency of accelerating Gaza’s reconstruction while ensuring Palestinians remain in the territory, according to a statement from Egypt’s foreign ministry.
A U.S. State Department statement following the meeting did not directly address Trump’s plan. However, it noted that Rubio “reiterated the importance of close cooperation to advance post-conflict planning for the governance and security of Gaza and stressed Hamas can never govern Gaza or threaten Israel again.”
According to the Egyptian foreign ministry, Abdelatty expressed hope for collaborating with the new U.S. administration to achieve “comprehensive and just peace and stability” in the region. He later met separately with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, where he reiterated Egypt’s position.
Arab States Reject Trump’s Displacement Proposal
Any suggestion that Palestinians should leave Gaza—territory they seek as part of an independent state—has been widely rejected by Palestinian leaders and neighboring Arab nations for generations. Opposition has only intensified since Israel’s military offensive on Gaza began in October 2023.
Trump first proposed on January 25 that Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians from Gaza. In subsequent remarks, he floated the idea of a U.S. takeover of Gaza and the permanent displacement of Palestinians from the enclave without a right of return.
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His statements have reignited long-standing Palestinian fears of forced expulsion. Human rights groups and the United Nations have condemned the proposal, calling it a form of ethnic cleansing.
Gaza Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis
Israel’s military offensive, now in a fragile ceasefire, has resulted in more than 47,000 Palestinian deaths over the past 16 months, according to the Gaza health ministry. The campaign has led to allegations of genocide and war crimes, which Israel denies.
The war has internally displaced nearly all of Gaza’s population and triggered a severe hunger crisis.
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The current escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
