By JAMES REYNOLDS and ELENA SALVONI

Published: 11:56 GMT, 14 February 2025 | Updated: 11:56 GMT, 14 February 2025

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has blasted Arab states for not taking in more Palestinians and demanded that they present a better plan for the Gaza Strip if they ‘don’t like’ Donald Trump’s proposals. His comments come as he is set to visit Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, after a first stop at the Munich Security Conference where he will join delicate talks on Ukraine alongside Vice President JD Vance. 

'Hopefully they're going to have a really good plan to present the president,' Rubio said of Arab states. 'Right now the only plan - they don't like it - but the only plan is the Trump plan. So if they've got a better plan, now's the time to present it,' he told the radio show of conservative hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton. Trump has warned of repercussions to neighboring Egypt and Jordan if they do not accept the more than two million Palestinians in Gaza, which has been leveled by Israel over 16 months of war triggered by a major Hamas attack. 'All these countries say how much they care about the Palestinians, but none of them want to take any Palestinians. None of them have a history of doing anything for Gaza,' Rubio said.

‘Hopefully they’re going to have a really good plan to present the president,’ Rubio said of Arab states. ‘Right now the only plan – they don’t like it – but the only plan is the Trump plan. So if they’ve got a better plan, now’s the time to present it,’ he told the radio show of conservative hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton. Trump has warned of repercussions to neighboring Egypt and Jordan if they do not accept the more than two million Palestinians in Gaza, which has been leveled by Israel over 16 months of war triggered by a major Hamas attack. ‘All these countries say how much they care about the Palestinians, but none of them want to take any Palestinians. None of them have a history of doing anything for Gaza,’ Rubio said.

Saudi Arabia is now spearheading urgent Arab efforts to develop a plan for Gaza's future as a counter to U.S. President Donald Trump's ambition for a Middle East Riviera cleared of its Palestinian inhabitants, 10 sources told Reuters. Draft ideas will be discussed at a meeting in Riyadh this month of countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Proposals may involve a Gulf-led reconstruction fund and a deal to sideline Hamas, five of the people said. Trump this week discussed his Gaza plan with Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's foreign minister. Jordan already hosts more than two million Palestinian refugees. It is heavily reliant on US aid, which Trump has been using as leverage to get the government to take more in.

Saudi Arabia is now spearheading urgent Arab efforts to develop a plan for Gaza’s future as a counter to U.S. President Donald Trump’s ambition for a Middle East Riviera cleared of its Palestinian inhabitants, 10 sources told Reuters. Draft ideas will be discussed at a meeting in Riyadh this month of countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Proposals may involve a Gulf-led reconstruction fund and a deal to sideline Hamas, five of the people said. Trump this week discussed his Gaza plan with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egypt’s foreign minister. Jordan already hosts more than two million Palestinian refugees. It is heavily reliant on US aid, which Trump has been using as leverage to get the government to take more in.

King Abdullah reiterated on X following the meeting on Tuesday that Jordan remained 'steadfast' against 'the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank,' describing it as a 'unified Arab position'. Diplomats say that Egypt is leading efforts to present an alternative to Trump within weeks. The Egyptian proposal would involve training a new security force in Gaza and identifying local Palestinian leaders who would be in charge. It involves forming a national Palestinian committee to govern Gaza without Hamas involvement, international participation in reconstruction without displacing Palestinians abroad, and movement towards a two-state solution, three Egyptian security sources said. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Palestinian representatives will review and discuss the plan in Riyadh before it is presented at a scheduled Arab summit on February 27, the Arab government source said.

King Abdullah reiterated on X following the meeting on Tuesday that Jordan remained ‘steadfast’ against ‘the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank,’ describing it as a ‘unified Arab position’. Diplomats say that Egypt is leading efforts to present an alternative to Trump within weeks. The Egyptian proposal would involve training a new security force in Gaza and identifying local Palestinian leaders who would be in charge. It involves forming a national Palestinian committee to govern Gaza without Hamas involvement, international participation in reconstruction without displacing Palestinians abroad, and movement towards a two-state solution, three Egyptian security sources said. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Palestinian representatives will review and discuss the plan in Riyadh before it is presented at a scheduled Arab summit on February 27, the Arab government source said.

Separately, sources say Saudi Arabia is working on an alternate plan for the future of the region. Riyadh and its Arab allies were aghast at Trump's plan to "clean out" Palestinians from Gaza and resettle most of them in Jordan and Egypt, an idea immediately rejected by Cairo and Amman and seen in most of the region as deeply destabilising. Reuters spoke to 15 sources in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and elsewhere to build a picture of the hurried efforts by Arab states to pull together existing proposals into a new plan they can sell to the U.S. president - even potentially calling it a "Trump plan" to win his approval.

Separately, sources say Saudi Arabia is working on an alternate plan for the future of the region. Riyadh and its Arab allies were aghast at Trump’s plan to “clean out” Palestinians from Gaza and resettle most of them in Jordan and Egypt, an idea immediately rejected by Cairo and Amman and seen in most of the region as deeply destabilising. Reuters spoke to 15 sources in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and elsewhere to build a picture of the hurried efforts by Arab states to pull together existing proposals into a new plan they can sell to the U.S. president – even potentially calling it a “Trump plan” to win his approval.

One Arab government source said at least four proposals had already been drafted for Gaza's future, but an Egyptian proposal was now emerging as central to the Arab push for an alternative to Trump's idea. Rubio said he believed Arab states were 'working in good faith,' but that a red line was that there should be no future role for Hamas. 'If the countries in the region can't figure that piece out, then Israel is going to have to do it, and then we're back to where we've been,' he said.

One Arab government source said at least four proposals had already been drafted for Gaza’s future, but an Egyptian proposal was now emerging as central to the Arab push for an alternative to Trump’s idea. Rubio said he believed Arab states were ‘working in good faith,’ but that a red line was that there should be no future role for Hamas. ‘If the countries in the region can’t figure that piece out, then Israel is going to have to do it, and then we’re back to where we’ve been,’ he said.

Rubio's predecessor Antony Blinken proposed a plan in which international powers and the United Nations would play a temporary role in Gaza until the Palestinian Authority can take over the war-ravaged enclave. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leading a hard-right government, has long sought to weaken the Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank, as part of his opposition to a Palestinian state. The Palestinian Authority had insisted last month that it should be the sole governing power in Gaza after the war. Israel has rejected any future involvement of Hamas in Gaza's administration, but has also been almost as opposed to rule by the Palestinian Authority, which has limited governing power in the West Bank. Critics have slammed the American proposal as deeply damaging to diplomatic efforts and tantamount to ethnic cleansing.

Rubio’s predecessor Antony Blinken proposed a plan in which international powers and the United Nations would play a temporary role in Gaza until the Palestinian Authority can take over the war-ravaged enclave. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leading a hard-right government, has long sought to weaken the Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank, as part of his opposition to a Palestinian state. The Palestinian Authority had insisted last month that it should be the sole governing power in Gaza after the war. Israel has rejected any future involvement of Hamas in Gaza’s administration, but has also been almost as opposed to rule by the Palestinian Authority, which has limited governing power in the West Bank. Critics have slammed the American proposal as deeply damaging to diplomatic efforts and tantamount to ethnic cleansing.

'President Trump's completely outrageous and outlandish calls for the ethnic cleansing of more than two million Palestinian people from Gaza severely undermines the chances for the continuation of the ceasefire,' Josh Ruebner, a lecturer at Georgetown University's Justice and Peace program, told Al Jazeera last week. Saudi Arabia, an American ally which made efforts to normalize relations with Israel during the first Trump administration, said that it would not continue the process without the creation of a Palestinian state in response to Trump's comments.

‘President Trump’s completely outrageous and outlandish calls for the ethnic cleansing of more than two million Palestinian people from Gaza severely undermines the chances for the continuation of the ceasefire,’ Josh Ruebner, a lecturer at Georgetown University’s Justice and Peace program, told Al Jazeera last week. Saudi Arabia, an American ally which made efforts to normalize relations with Israel during the first Trump administration, said that it would not continue the process without the creation of a Palestinian state in response to Trump’s comments.

The Foreign Ministry said it rejected any attempts to displace Palestinians, describing its stance as 'clear and explicit'. Jordan stressed 'the need to put a stop to settlement expansion, expressing rejection of any attempts to annex land and displace the Palestinians', the Royal Court of King Abdullah II said. Still fears mount that the fragile ceasefire arrangement between Hamas and Israel could break down, plunging civilians into more uncertainty and devastation.

The Foreign Ministry said it rejected any attempts to displace Palestinians, describing its stance as ‘clear and explicit’. Jordan stressed ‘the need to put a stop to settlement expansion, expressing rejection of any attempts to annex land and displace the Palestinians’, the Royal Court of King Abdullah II said. Still fears mount that the fragile ceasefire arrangement between Hamas and Israel could break down, plunging civilians into more uncertainty and devastation.

Hamas earlier this week said that it could delay the release of the sixth group of hostages, accusing Israel of preventing vital humanitarian aid from getting into the beleaguered enclave. Israel warned Thursday that the Palestinian militants must release three living hostages this weekend or face a resumption of the war in Gaza, after Hamas said it would pause releases over apparent Israeli violations of the truce. Tensions cooled towards after Hamas said it was 'keen to implement' the ceasefire, with mediators in Egypt to get talks back on track. Hamas is expected to name three hostages scheduled for release this weekend under the terms of the deal.

Hamas earlier this week said that it could delay the release of the sixth group of hostages, accusing Israel of preventing vital humanitarian aid from getting into the beleaguered enclave. Israel warned Thursday that the Palestinian militants must release three living hostages this weekend or face a resumption of the war in Gaza, after Hamas said it would pause releases over apparent Israeli violations of the truce. Tensions cooled towards after Hamas said it was ‘keen to implement’ the ceasefire, with mediators in Egypt to get talks back on track. Hamas is expected to name three hostages scheduled for release this weekend under the terms of the deal.

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US Secretary of State blasts Arab states over Gaza



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