Emirates backs Egypt amid tensions with Trump over his plan for Gaza
The United Arab Emirates has made its position clear regarding US President Donald Trump's plans for the Gaza Strip. During a telephone call with the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, the Emirati president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, emphasised the ‘importance of working towards a just and lasting peace in the region, which ensures security and stability for all’.
The Emirati leader also reiterated his support for the two-state solution, rejecting ‘any attempt to displace the Palestinians and deny them their rights’, as reported by the Emirati news agency.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed's stance is part of the United Arab Emirates' support for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi at a time of tensions with Trump over the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. Saudi Arabia is expected to offer the same support to Cairo to counter pressure from Washington.
Egypt needs the backing of Arab countries, especially the Gulf nations, to adopt a unified Arab stance on Gaza. In this sense, Cairo will host an emergency Arab summit scheduled for 27 February to address the challenges facing the Palestinian question. The meeting will also seek to reach a unified Arab position to reject Trump's proposal to relocate Gaza residents to Egypt and Jordan.
The Egyptian president linked his visit to Washington and his meeting with Trump to the decision not to discuss the issue of the displacement of Palestinians and their relocation to other countries in the region. This message made it clear that Trump's proposal for Gaza represents a threat to Egypt's national security and a blow to its image.
Two security sources revealed to The Wall Street Journal that Al-Sisi ‘will not travel to Washington if the agenda includes Trump's plan to displace the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip’. For the moment, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badr Abdel Aaty, has already met with Marco Rubio to underline his government's rejection of the displacement of Palestinians.
Furthermore, Cairo has also drawn up a detailed plan, in coordination with Arab countries, to rebuild Gaza, allowing its residents to remain in the enclave. According to the first details of the initiative revealed to the Al Arabiya channel, Egypt plans to establish several safe zones within six months.
These areas would be cleaned and key infrastructure such as hospitals and schools would be built to facilitate the return of residents. New housing would be built over a period of 18 months. The project will involve 24 international companies and 18 consulting firms, as well as support from the Arab world and Europe, according to sources from the Saudi media.
No details have yet been revealed about the financing of the reconstruction or about the countries that will participate in the conference. This plan is expected to be addressed during the next emergency meeting of the Arab League.
For his part, Trump reiterated his proposal to take and administer Gaza, and even displace its population, during a meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II in Washington. During the meeting, he recalled that the United States provides considerable economic aid to Jordan and Egypt. Last year, Washington allocated 1.3 billion dollars in military aid to Egypt and, in December, it authorised a possible arms sale worth more than 5 billion dollars.
