RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Monday received a phone call from the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag and discussed developments in Gaza.
During the call, they discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip, efforts to promote peace in the region, and ensuring the full and safe delivery of urgent humanitarian aid to the Strip without any obstacles, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
It is pertinent to mention that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Friday endorsed an Arab League counter-proposal to US President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to take over Gaza and displace its residents, two ministers told media.
The decision by the 57-member grouping came at an emergency meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, three days after the Arab League ratified the plan at a summit in Cairo.
The Egyptian-crafted alternative to Trump’s widely condemned takeover proposes to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority.
“The emergency ministerial meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation adopted the Egyptian plan, which has now become an Arab-Islamic plan,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said, in comments echoed by his Sudanese counterpart.
Trump triggered global outrage by suggesting the US “take over” Gaza and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”, while forcing its Palestinian inhabitants to relocate to Egypt or Jordan.
At Tuesday’s summit in Cairo, Arab leaders also announced a trust fund to pay for Gaza’s reconstruction and urged the international community to back it.
“The next step is for the plan to become an international plan through adoption by the European Union and international parties such as Japan, Russia, China and others,” Abdelatty said.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza, killing at least 48,440 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to data from the territory’s health ministry.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that he welcomed the Egyptian idea and urged Trump to support such a plan that would not involve displacing Palestinians.
