Arab officials reject Trump Gaza displacement plan in letter to Rubio

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
4 Feb 2025 10:21

Arab ministers and a Palestinian official have addressed Marco Rubio in a letter to express their rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

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Displaced Palestinians return to their homes in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, on Monday, January 27, 2025. (AP)

Five Arab foreign ministers and a senior Palestinian official rejected US President Donald Trump's plot to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza, proposing they be involved in the reconstruction process of the territory instead, Axios reported.

The officials reportedly addressed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a letter, which came as a joint effort by the United States' Arab allies to press Trump into reneging on his statements.

Trump has repeatedly suggested that Egypt and Jordan take in Palestinian refugees from Gaza, referring to the Strip as a "demolition site" due to months of Israeli bombardment. The war has left most of Gaza's 2.3 million residents displaced.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump claimed he had discussed the matter with el-Sisi, stating, "I wish he would take some. We helped them a lot, and I'm sure he'd help us... But I think he would do it, and I think the King of Jordan would do it too." However, Egypt denied that such a conversation had taken place.

Arab nations have historically rejected any suggestion of displacing Palestinians from their lands. Since the outbreak of the war on Gaza in October 2023, both Egypt and Jordan have reinforced their opposition to such proposals. Jordan, which already hosts over two million Palestinians and faces economic strains, has dismissed the idea outright. "The solution to the Palestinian issue lies in Palestine," stated Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.

Therefore, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan, as well as Palestinian presidential advisor Hussein al-Sheikh, convened in Cairo on Saturday and ultimately decided to address the matter in a letter to Rubio.

What did the letter say?

The officials emphasized that the Middle East is already struggling with the world’s largest displaced and refugee populations, stressing the region's fragile economic and social conditions.

They cautioned that any further displacement, even if temporary, could heighten the risk of regional instability, radicalization, and unrest. They also underscored the necessity of involving Palestinian residents in Gaza’s reconstruction, asserting that they must have a role in rebuilding their land and should not be sidelined in the process, which should be supported by the international community.

Additionally, the Arab ministers warned against any potential expulsion of Palestinians by "Israel", reaffirming their firm support for Palestinians' determination to remain on their land and stressing that such an action would introduce a dangerous new dimension to the conflict.

"Palestinians will live in their land and help rebuild it and should not be stripped of their agency during reconstruction and must take ownership of the process with the support of the international community," the letter read.

On a broader level, the ministers conveyed their countries’ willingness to collaborate with President Trump’s vision for Middle East peace, expressing confidence in his ability to achieve what past US presidents could not. They emphasized that the most effective approach is a "two-state" solution and affirmed their readiness to foster regional conditions that would ensure the security of both "Israel" and the Palestinians.