RIYADH: Arab leaders will meet in Saudi Arabia today to counter President Donald Trump's plan for US control of Gaza and the expulsion of its people, diplomatic and government sources said. The plan has united Arab states in opposition, but disagreements remain over who should govern the war-ravaged Palestinian territory and how to fund its reconstruction.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman invited the leaders of Gulf Arab countries, Egypt and Jordan for a meeting in Riyadh on Friday, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Thursday.
Arab states have pledged to work on a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip's reconstruction to counter US President Donald Trump's proposal to redevelop the enclave as an international beach resort after resettling its Palestinian inhabitants elsewhere.
Saudi Arabia said Friday's meeting would be unofficial and held within "the framework of the close brotherly relations that bring together the leaders", SPA said.
"As for joint Arab action and the decisions issued regarding it, it will be on the agenda of the upcoming emergency Arab summit that will be held in the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt," SPA added, referring to plans for an emergency Arab summit on March 4 to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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 triggered global outrage when he proposed the United States would "take over the Gaza Strip" and the relocation of its 2.4 million people to neighbouring Egypt and Jordan.
Rebuilding Gaza will be a key issue, after Trump cited reconstruction as justification for relocating its population.
Cairo has yet to announce its initiative, but Egyptian former diplomat Mohamed Hegazy outlined a plan "in three technical phases over a period of three to five years".
The first, lasting six months, would focus on "early recovery", said the member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, a think tank with strong ties to decision-making circles in Cairo.
"Heavy machinery will be brought in to remove debris, while designated safe zones will be identified within Gaza to temporarily relocate residents," Hegazy said.
The second phase would require an international conference to provide details of reconstruction and would focus on rebuilding utility infrastructure, he said.
"The final phase will oversee the urban planning of Gaza, the construction of housing units, and the provision of educational and healthcare services." An Arab diplomat familiar with the Gulf affairs said: "The biggest challenge facing the Egyptian plan is how to finance it.
Qatar, a key mediator in the war, insists Palestinians must decide Gaza's future. - Agencies
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