Arab nations oppose moving Palestinians out of Gaza

Five foreign ministers and a Palestinian official have sent a joint letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio objecting against Donald Trump’s plans to remove Palestinians from Gaza, The Arab Weekly via Reuters reported on February 4th.

Foreign ministers from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, as well as Palestinian presidential adviser Hussein al-Sheikh have sent the joint letter which opposes Trump’s plans to move the Palestinians to foreign countries.

The letter was sent on January 3rd, with Axios being the first to report on it, reporting that the ministers met in Cairo over the weekend.

“Reconstruction in Gaza should be through direct engagement with and participation of the people of Gaza. Palestinians will live in their land and help rebuild it,” the joint letter said.

The ministers added: “And they should not be stripped of their agency during reconstruction as they must take ownership of the process with the support of the international community.”

US President Donald Trump suggested the idea of Jordan and Egypt taking in Palestinians from Gaza on January 25th, without officially clarifying whether the proposal would be permanent or temporary, prompting fear among Palestinians over the possibility of permanently being driven out of their homes.

Trump’s suggestion has been referred to by critics as a proposal of ethnic-cleansing.

The Arab Weekly via Reuters