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Egypt announced on Sunday that an emergency Arab summit will be held in Cairo this month at the request of Palestine to discuss “serious developments in the Palestinian cause”.
The talks on February 27 will take place amid global condemnation of US President Donald Trump's suggestion last week that the US would “take over the Gaza Strip” and develop it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”. Mr Trump added that Palestinians would be moved from Gaza to countries including Egypt and Jordan.
Sources told The National that the summit would aim to produce a unified Arab stance against Mr Trump's proposals, with the hope of dissuading the US President from pursuing his proposal.
Egypt, a close US ally that borders Gaza and Israel, has already stated its strong opposition to the displacement of the enclave's 2.3 million residents during the reconstruction of Gaza. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has said Egypt will not be part of the removal of Palestinians from Gaza.
Mr Trump's proposal caused anger among Palestinians and Arabs across the Middle East. His remarks evoked bitter memories of the Nakba, when 700,000 Palestinians fled their homes during the creation of Israel in 1948.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also made inflammatory comments to an Israeli TV channel, saying: “The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia – they have a lot of land over there.”
The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded statement on Sunday, accusing Israel of “continuous crimes” and “ethnic cleansing” in Palestine.
Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Sunday that the thinking behind Mr Netanyahu's remarks "is unacceptable and reflects a complete detachment from reality", adding that such ideas "are nothing more than mere fantasies or illusions".
Egypt has been a close Washington ally for about half century, receiving billions of dollars in aid. The country receives an annual $1.3 billion as part of a military assistance programme that has enabled it to modernise its army. Egypt and the US have also shared intelligence and co-operated in counter-terrorism operations.
Reports suggest Mr El Sisi is due to visit Washington this month for talks with Mr Trump, but neither the White House nor the Egyptian presidency have confirmed the trip. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty travelled to Washington on Sunday.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that Mr Abdelatty would meet senior officials in the Trump administration, as well as members of Congress.
“The visit takes place in the framework of bolstering bilateral relations and the strategic partnership binding Egypt and the United States and to consult on regional developments,” the ministry said.
