U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that he has not seen the proposal being considered by Arab leaders as an alternative to his plan to take over Gaza after the conflict between Hamas and Israel is done. “I haven’t seen it,” Trump stated in answer to a reporter’s question about Air Force One. “When I see it, I’ll let you know,” he said. Trump announced earlier this month that he intends to forcibly move over 2 million Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring Jordan and Egypt. He stated that the United States would “own” the land and convert it into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” prompting Arab countries’ rejection. It’s unclear whether Trump is serious or just threatening to get concessions from Arab states. During the meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh this week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that it could be the latter, urging regional leaders to make a counteroffer.

Envoys from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE will meet in Riyadh on Friday to discuss options, including an Egyptian plan to raise up to $20 billion over three years from Arab and Gulf states for Gaza’s reconstruction. Under this plan, Gazans would not be forced to leave and the strip would be governed by Palestinians. Trump spoke en route to Washington after delivering remarks at a conference in Miami hosted by the Future Investment Initiative .

The prince formed tight ties with Trump during his first term and maintained economic links with the Trump organization when he was out of power, including investing $2 billion in a firm owned by Trump’s son-in-law and former adviser, Jared Kushner. “Trump believes in the Golden Rule, but not the Golden Rule from Sunday school,” Blumenfeld told the VOA. “It’s if you’re rich, you’re right.” As Riyadh leads the effort to unite Arab states to support post-war Gaza, there may be evidence that Trump is changing his stance. In his wide-ranging remarks that lasted over an hour, Trump did not touch Gaza except to reaffirm what he said was his participation on the truce agreed on January 19, during the last day then-President Joe Biden was in office.
As Riyadh leads the effort to unite Arab states to support post-war Gaza, there may be evidence that Trump is changing his stance. In his hour-long speech, Trump made no mention of Gaza other than reaffirming his role in the truce signed on January 19, the last day then-President Joe Biden was in office. “We’ve secured a ceasefire in Gaza, and we’re bringing in the hostages, and we’re bringing them home to their families,” Trump said, adding that some of the hostages “are in pretty bad shape.” He praised Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi wealth fund, and Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Jadaan. The White House did not immediately answer Trump met with any of the Saudi delegation during the event. VOA’s inquiry about whether Trump

The prince formed tight ties with Trump during his first term and maintained economic links with the Trump organization when he was out of power, including investing $2 billion in a firm owned by Trump’s son-in-law and former adviser, Jared Kushner. “Trump believes in the Golden Rule, but not the Golden Rule from Sunday school,” Blumenfeld told the VOA. “It’s if you’re rich, you’re right.” As Riyadh leads the effort to unite Arab states to support post-war Gaza, there may be evidence that Trump is changing his stance. In his wide-ranging remarks that lasted over an hour, Trump did not touch Gaza except to reaffirm what he said was his participation on the truce agreed on January 19, during the last day then-President Joe Biden was in office.

During his Wednesday remarks, Trump congratulated the Saudi crown prince for holding negotiations between US and Russian officials on Tuesday to settle the crisis in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European allies have criticized the summit as an attempt to marginalize Kyiv.

Egyptian proposal for Gaza According to Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram newspaper, the idea calls for the establishment of “secure areas” in Gaza equipped with mobile dwellings and shelters, while Egyptian and international construction firms repair the shattered infrastructure. The idea also asks for the formation of a national Palestinian committee of technocrats and community leaders who are not linked with Hamas to rule post-war Gaza. It is unknown whether the plan has the approval of the Palestinian Authority, the internationally recognized authority that currently governs sections of the West Bank and ruled Gaza until losing the 2006 election to Hamas.
“What is needed now is a political solution in Gaza to make that reconstruction both physically possible and long-term sustainable,” said Tariq Kenney-Shawa, a US Policy Fellow at the Palestinian Policy Network Al-Shabaka. The goal is that “we don’t return to a situation where Gaza remains under occupation,” he told VOA. On Monday, Hamas expressed a willingness to relinquish any postwar government responsibilities. “It is not necessary for Hamas to be part of the political and administrative arrangements in the next phase for Gaza, especially if it serves the interests of our people,” Hamas spokeswoman Hazem Qasim told Al Arabiya television.
“It is not necessary for Hamas to be part of the political and administrative arrangements in the next phase for Gaza, especially if it serves the interests of our people,” Hamas spokeswoman Hazem Qasim told Al Arabiya television. Hamas issued the conciliatory remark as discussions for phase two of the truce are due to resume in days, following weeks of delays. However, it barely meets a portion of Israel’s and the United States’ primary demand: the eradication of Hamas’ administrative and military presence in postwar Gaza. So far, Hamas has not indicated that it will disarm. Meanwhile, Israel has not established an acceptable alternative governing body to Hamas and has denied any role by the Palestinian Authority.

The Egyptian approach also does not resolve a long-standing conflict between the warring parties. Israeli politicians are opposed to any postwar plans that would prepare the way for a two-state solution, despite the fact that Palestinians and Arab countries continue to demand a sovereign Palestine. Expedited hostage release A senior Hamas official claimed earlier this week that the group will return the remains of four dead Israeli hostages and release six living ones in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian inmates, including 47 senior Hamas officials. Israel will also allow mobile homes and construction equipment to enter Gaza. The six remaining hostages are the last to be released under phase one of the truce, which planned for the gradual release of 33 hostages, eight of whom are believed to be dead. Hamas took about 250 hostages and killed about 1,200 people in the October 2023 attack on Israel.

Analysts believe the accelerated exchange of hostages and inmates indicates that both parties are eager to secure everything they can now, fearing the truce may collapse before phase one finishes next week. “What we’re looking at now is potentially a faster resolution to phase two,” said Mirette Mabrouk, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. “But if that happens, then that sort of signals near the end of the conflict,” she told the news organization VOA. “And that’s something that [Israeli] Prime Minister Netanyahu has said he’s not going to want without Hamas being disarmed.” Hamas is reported to be keeping over 70 more detainees, half of whom are alive. It insists on releasing them in exchange for a permanent halt to fighting.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s counteroffensive to the Hamas invasion has displaced more than 2 million Palestinians and killed around 48,200 people, the majority of them are women and children. The Israeli military claims that 17,000 militants have been killed.