Egypt has announced an emergency Arab summit to be held on February 27 in response to US President Donald Trump's recent call to expel Palestinians from Gaza. Trump said he plans to take over the Gaza Strip, transfer its Palestinian population to other countries, and rebuild the territory into the "Riviera of the Middle East".
The US leader further questioned why Palestinians would ever want to return there when asked whether they would be allowed to return. Speaking at a White House press conference last Tuesday, with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looking on, Trump said that Egypt and Jordan would "give us the kind of land that we need to get this done".
On Sunday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that it has communicated with several Arab countries in light of the "escalating developments in the Palestinian issue".
"Over the past few days, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty made a series of phone calls with several Arab counterparts to mass regional efforts in a bid to thwart the US proposal of displacing the Palestinian people," the ministry said.
Trump's announcement last week sparked confused and angry reactions across the globe, with Hamas rejecting his surprise plans on Gaza, saying it was aimed at eliminating the Palestinian cause.
Egypt and Jordan have rejected the plan outright, with their leaders, foreign ministers, and several senior officials expressing their opposition. Arab diplomats stressed to Haaretz the gravity of the US president's remarks on Cairo and Amman, noting that they are taking them "very seriously".
Middle East Eye learned in early February that Jordan is ready to declare war on Israel in the event that Netanyahu attempts to forcibly expel Palestinians into its territory.
Well-placed sources in Amman and Jerusalem told MEE that the last thing Jordan wants is war and it is eager for a peaceful solution. But they are adamant that the Jordanians will close the border if refugees begin to cross into the country.
One source told MEE that Trump's proposal was an "existential issue" both for Jordan and the Hashemite dynasty, pointing out that the country is the third-poorest in terms of water in the world.
Meanwhile, MEE has also revealed that Trump's explosive comments earlier this month had sent shockwaves across Egyptian diplomatic and intelligence circles, Two diplomatic sources - one Egyptian and one Arab - revealed that Arab countries, led by Egypt, are scrambling to offer alternatives to Trump’s displacement plan.
Among the proposals discussed is a major reconstruction initiative involving US companies in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Gaza - without displacing its residents. This plan would be funded through lucrative Arab contracts to entice Trump and divert his attention from forced relocation.
'This is not possible'
Former Egyptian ambassador to the UN, Mootaz Ahmadein, said Trump's words “should be taken very seriously”.
“Cairo must respond with a simple yet powerful phrase that could unsettle him: ‘No, this is not possible,’” Ahmadein told MEE. Ahmadein further suggested that Egypt should coordinate with other nations that have been affected by Trump’s controversial policies - such as Canada, Panama, Greenland (Denmark), Colombia, Brazil, Mexico and the European Union - and seek their support in opposing him.
A senior Palestinian official speaking to Haaretz said that while a unified stance against the forcible expulsion of Palestinians is crucial, there needs to be a clear outline on who will "manage and reconstruct" the beseiged enclave.
"Will Hamas control Gaza, and if not, will the Palestinian Authority? How can this be implemented, how to move forward in the reconstruction process and also in the political process, if at all? These questions still have no answer," the diplomat expressed.
The Geneva Conventions, which both the US and Israel have ratified, prohibit the forcible relocation of populations. Netanyahu is already wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity. More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 15 months since he declared war on Gaza.
According to the UN agency, OCHA, almost all of the homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. Despite these losses, Palestinians in Gaza have strongly rejected any resettlement plan, stating their determination not to allow Israel to successfully execute another Nakba.