By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Egypt on Sunday announced that it would host a summit of Arab leaders later in the month, focusing on former US President Donald Trump’s proposals regarding the relocation of Gaza.
The summit is being organised in response to a request by Palestine, according to a statement from the Egyptian foreign ministry.
It said the leaders will gather on 27 February to discuss “the new and dangerous developments in the Palestinian issue.”
Egypt’s announcement comes less than a week after many Arab states rejected Trump’s recent comments about relocating Gaza’s residents and creating what he called a “Riviera of the Middle East” there.
Trump made the proposal on Tuesday when he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, D.C.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump said he viewed the proposal as “a real estate transaction, where we’ll be an investor in that part of the world.” He added that he was in “no rush to do anything.”
On Sunday, Israeli forces began withdrawing from the Netzarim corridor in Gaza, marking the latest stage of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
The Netzarim corridor is a four-mile strip of land bisecting northern and southern Gaza that Israel fortified during the war, using it as a military zone.
Last month, as part of the ceasefire deal, Israel began allowing Palestinians to cross the Netzarim corridor and return to their homes in the north.
The withdrawal is part of the six-week first phase of the ceasefire, during which Hamas is gradually releasing 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, while also allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza.
In the next stage of the ceasefire, all remaining living hostages would be released in return for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the establishment of “sustainable calm.”
Negotiations are ongoing over the details. Israel wants Hamas’ military and political capabilities eliminated, while Hamas is demanding the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
The war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’ attack that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage, has resulted in the deaths of more than 47,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities.
