Trump walks back his plans for Gaza amid regional pushback: US President Donald Trump appeared to take back his plan to displace Gaza’s 2 mn citizens. “I'll tell you, the way to do it is my plan. I think that's the plan that really works. But I'm not forcing it. I'm just going to sit back and recommend it,” Trump told Fox News on Friday.

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MEANWHILE- Arab leaders hold meeting on the Palestinian cause: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi joined a handful of Arab leaders in Riyadh on Friday for an informal meeting on Palestine, according to an Ittihadeya statement. The meeting was attended by the leaders of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Qatar, and Kuwait, and the Crown Prince of Bahrain.

On the agenda: “The meeting included consultations on various regional and international issues, with a focus on joint efforts to support the Palestinian cause and address developments in the Gaza Strip,” according to Saudi state news agency SPA. “The leaders welcomed the emergency Arab summit scheduled for Cairo on March 4, 2025.”

The leaders discussed Egypt’s proposal to rebuild Gaza, unnamed sources close to the discussions told Reuters. The plan could require USD 20 bn in funding over a three-year period, likely to come from wealthy Gulf and Arab nations.

Remember: This month Egypt said it will propose “a comprehensive vision for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in a manner that ensures the Palestinian people remain in their homeland and aligns with their legitimate and legal rights.” Egypt has already begun clearing rubble and rebuilding infrastructure in Gaza, with heavy equipment working to open roads for aid entry.

Two key elements of the plan include: ensuring reconstruction happens without displacing the residents of Gaza and excluding Hamas from governing Gaza, Reuters reported last week, citing three unnamed Egyptian sources.

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