Five Arab foreign ministers and a senior Palestinian official sent a joint letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, 3rd February, opposing plans to displace Palestinians from Gaza, as suggested by President Donald Trump in late January.
The letter was signed by the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, as well as Palestinian presidential adviser Hussein al-Sheikh. Axios first reported the news, stating that the top diplomats had met in Cairo over the weekend.
Trump had suggested on 25th January that Jordan and Egypt could take in Palestinians from Gaza, though when asked if this was a short-term or long-term solution, the president responded: “Could be either.”
These comments echoed long-standing Palestinian concerns about being permanently driven from their homes and were denounced by critics as a proposal for ethnic cleansing. Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab nations have opposed the idea.
The letter stated: “Reconstruction in Gaza should be through direct engagement with and participation of the people of Gaza. Palestinians will live in their land and help rebuild it.”
It continued, emphasising that Palestinians should not be deprived of their agency during reconstruction and must take ownership of the process, with the support of the international community.
Israel’s military assault on Gaza has resulted in over 47,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the Gaza health ministry, and has led to accusations of genocide and war crimes, which Israel denies. A fragile ceasefire is currently in place.
The latest round of violence in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict was sparked on 7th October, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli sources.Arab Nations Oppose Removing Palestinians from Gaza in Letter to US
