Arab leaders' summit kicks off in Riyadh, amid plans for Gaza reconstruction

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia

Arab leaders gathered Friday in Riyadh to discuss “joint efforts to support the Palestinian cause and developments” in the Gaza Strip, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The leaders expressed support for the upcoming Arab League emergency summit, scheduled for March 4 in Cairo.

The meeting was held at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and was attended by Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Kuwait’s Emir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa also participated.

The meeting comes at a critical time for the region amid US President Donald Trump’s reported plans to displace Palestinians from Gaza and seize control of the territory.

Trump has repeatedly called for the US to “take over” Gaza and resettling its population to redevelop the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East.” The idea has been vehemently rejected by the Arab world and many other nations, who say it amounts to ethnic cleansing.

The leaders exchanged views on regional and international issues, particularly focusing on the Palestinian cause and the situation in Gaza.

On Feb. 18, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the emergency summit would be rescheduled for March 4, instead of Feb. 27, due to “preparatory and logistical reasons.”

On Feb 16, al-Sisi confirmed his country is preparing a “comprehensive” plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing Palestinians.

A ceasefire deal took effect in Gaza last month, halting Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed at least 48,300 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.