Saudi Arabia is set to host a high-level summit on Friday mainly to discuss way forward in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
Leaders from Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf States are expected in Riyadh for the meeting.
The summit will focus on Egypt’s proposal to rebuild the devastated territory under the “complete supervision’’ of Arab countries.
Tensions have been rising after a controversial suggestion from President Donald Trump for the U.S. to take over Gaza and permanently relocate its 2 million residents to neighbouring Arab states.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended Trump’s plans.
“How are you going to rebuild this place when you have people living among the rubble? How are you going to rebuild it as long as a group like Hamas is operating there? You can’t,” Rubio said during an interview with journalist Catherine Herridge posted on X Thursday evening.
He has called on the regional allies to come up with a “better plan” if they don’t like Trump’s proposal, which was firmly rejected by Egypt, Jordan and other regional powers, who view it as a violation of Palestinian sovereignty.
In response, Egypt is advancing its reconstruction plan to prevent the U.S. and Israel from pushing forward with Trump’s relocation agenda.
Many questions remain unanswered when discussing the future of Gaza, including, above all, who should control the area in future and be responsible for security.
Israel rejects both a continuation of rule by the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas and control by the Palestinian Authority.
Recent UN estimates suggest that rebuilding Gaza could cost around 53 billion dollars with 20 billion dollars required in the first three years alone.
