Sisi travels to Saudi Arabia as Riyadh set to host Arab summit on Gaza on Friday

CAIRO – 20 February 2025: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is heading to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, state’s news agency MENA reported, as Riyadh prepares to host a mini Arab summit on the developments in Gaza on Friday.

The summit, originally scheduled for Thursday but was postponed to Friday, was expanded to include all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, along with Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority, according to Arab diplomats speaking to AFP this week.

The AFP cited a source close to the Saudi government as saying that the Arab leaders are expected to discuss a reconstruction plan for Gaza that replaces Trump's earlier proposal.

The US president’s plan has drawn global and Arab condemnation, suggesting that the US will "take over" Gaza and permanently displace its more than two million Palestinian residents to neighboring areas, especially Egypt and Jordan.

Egypt, Jordan, the Arab League—which comprises all 22 Arab countries—and the European Union have all opposed this proposal, stressing that it undermines the globally-advocated two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Meanwhile, Egypt is leading efforts to develop a multi-phase reconstruction plan as an alternative to Trump's proposal.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly stated yesterday that a three-year timeline is a reasonable estimate for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Gaza, aiming to restore the enclave to a state better than it was before the war.

The mini summit precedes an emergency Arab summit that Cairo is set to host on March 4 to further discuss developments related to the Palestinian cause.

These Arab summits come at a critical time, as negotiations for the second phase of the current ceasefire between Hamas and Israel are set to commence shortly.

This upcoming phase aims for a permanent end to hostilities, the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and the release of all captives held by Hamas, whether alive or deceased.

Egypt and Qatar, the Arab mediators between Hamas and Israel during the ceasefire talks, are striving to maintain the ceasefire and successfully implement its three phases, ultimately leading to the reconstruction process in the final phase.