Chicago – February 10, 2025
Egypt announced on Sunday that it will host a summit of Arab leaders on February 27 to discuss the future of the Gaza Strip after President Donald Trump suggested the U.S. should take control of it.
Trump made this surprising statement last week after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and repeated it over the weekend. His comments upset important U.S. allies in the Middle East, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.
Egypt’s foreign ministry said the meeting in Cairo will focus on “the state of Palestine,” which requested the summit to address the dangerous new developments affecting the Palestinian cause. Gaza’s neighboring Arab countries also rejected Trump’s idea of having them take in the 1.8 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip.
While some of Trump’s allies believed his suggestion was just a negotiating strategy, Trump confirmed again on Sunday that he was serious about “buying and owning” Gaza.
In the coming days, Jordan’s King Abdullah II will meet with Trump at the White House, and Trump is also expected to hold talks with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
