People walk amid the destruction caused by the Israeli air and ground offensive in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip, on February 18, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

President Donald Trump’s plans for resolving the Israel-Palestine crisis by ethnic cleansing or “relocating” Palestinian population of Gaza to other Arab states is expected to face strong opposition as Saudi Arabia prepares to host a mini Arab summit in Riyadh this weekend.

Apart from the summit, the region is also tense over the funeral, in Beirut, of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated in a missile attack in the Lebanese capital on 27 September 2024. The funeral is expected to be a show of strength for the Shia crescent from Iran to Lebanon.

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The summit of the five Arab powers was earlier planned for Thursday (February 20, 2025) but has now been pushed to Friday (February 21, 2025) and expanded where all the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Oman and Qatar) will be joined by Egypt and Jordan to brainstorm over the U.S.-Israel plans.

While the mainly Arab Muslim nations will display unity of purpose, the funeral of Nasrallah is expected to showcase the people power of the Iran-Lebanon Shia crescent that can heat up further in case Israel, now armed by the U.S.-made 2000-pound bunker buster bombs, carries out an attack on Iran in the coming weeks.

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Diplomats participating in the dialogues told The Hindu that the impact of President Trump’s Gaza plans will play out in the region over a span of the next six months and the latest round of talks being held in Riyadh is an attempt to stop sudden escalation from breaking out.

Analysts pointed out that the solution that President Trump has been suggesting is inherently weak as it is part of the ‘America First’ policy which does not take into consideration interests of other stakeholders like the European powers, who are expected to face the blowback if the Arab bloc chooses to form a common front in support of the two-state solution for the Palestinians.

Also Read | Rubio says Hamas must be eradicated, casting further doubt on shaky ceasefire in Gaza

Najib Saab, Secretary General of Beirut-based Arab Forum for Environment and Development said that the the just concluded meeting between U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has shown that the Trump-Vance administration is not giving importance to the opinion of the European Union.

Najib Saab did not rule out an Arab pushback as a U.S.-Israel led attempt to relocate Palestinian population from Gaza Strip could destabilize Egypt and Jordan triggering existential concerns across the major states of the region.

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On the sidelines of the Saudi Media Forum, a media conclave being held parallel to the peace talks on Ukraine and Gaza here, Mr. Saab told The Hindu that President Trump’s Gaza plans are supported by the fact that he does not have to worry about disruption of energy supplies to the U.S. as the U.S. is now energy sufficient.

“However the same is not true for Europe which remains dependent on the Gulf for energy supplies and Europe will face energy disruption if President Trump’s Gaza formula destabilizes the region,” he said.

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The Arab powers that will meet in Riyadh this weekend also have to contend with the fact that any display of weakness by them will give opportunity to the Shia front that will carry out a show of strength on Sunday (February 23, 2025) as people from Iran, Iraq, Syria and other places are flying into Beirut to attend the funeral of Nasrallah.

To counter any such impression, UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday (February 19, 2025) hosted U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Abu Dhabi and opposed proposals for displacing Palestinians from Gaza.

Mr Saab pointed out that Abu Dhabi has followed the plan as laid down by Saudi Arabia which had quickly opposed Mr. Trump’s plans in the first week of February. “The Arab position is more or less clear that without an independent Palestine, Israel will not get to normalize relation with major Arab powers,” said Mr. Saab.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center, walks with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as they meet at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on February 19, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan told visiting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday that Abu Dhabi opposes the displacement of Palestinians, official media reported.

Sheikh Mohammed “affirmed the UAE’s firm position rejecting any attempts aimed at displacing the Palestinian people from their land”, the Gulf state’s WAM news agency said.

Rubio departed Abu Dhabi after a brief stop in the UAE, the final leg of his first Middle East tour, which included discussions on a proposal by US President Donald Trump to place Gaza under US control and relocate its inhabitants.

The trip also saw breakthrough talks with Russian officials in Riyadh a day earlier, with discussions on issues including efforts to end the Ukraine war.

The UAE president “stressed the need for the reconstruction of Gaza to be linked to a path leading to comprehensive and lasting peace based on the two-state solution”, WAM reported.

Rubio’s visit to the UAE comes ahead of a Friday summit in Saudi Arabia of the six-state Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as Egypt and Jordan, in order to respond to Trump’s Gaza plan.

The Trump administration, which rejects any future role for Hamas in the Palestinian territory, has called on the Arab countries, which are firmly opposed to any displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, to propose alternatives to the US president’s plan.

Trump has proposed putting the Gaza Strip, devastated by more than 15 months of war with Israel, under US control and moving its 2.4 million inhabitants, mainly to neighbouring Jordan and Egypt.

In Saudi Arabia on Monday, Rubio met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, emphasising “the importance of an arrangement for Gaza that contributes to regional security”, according to a statement.

On Sunday, during his first stop in Jerusalem, the US secretary of state offered unwavering US support to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, giving Israel the green light to proceed however it chooses in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire took effect on January 19.

On Tuesday, Rubio led a US delegation in rare talks with Russian officials headed by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Saudi capital.

China on Wednesday reiterated its opposition to “forced displacement” of Palestinians.