From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 9, 2025
Egypt foreign minister heads to Washington amid backlash over Trump plan to relocate Gazans
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Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty leaves for Washington to meet with top US officials and members of Congress after US President Donald Trump floated a plan to relocate Gazans to Egypt and Jordan.
His departure comes as Cairo announces it will host an “emergency Arab summit” on February 27 to discuss “the latest serious developments” concerning the Palestinians.
According to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry, Abdelatty’s visit aims “to boost bilateral relations and (the) strategic partnership between Egypt and the US,” and will include “consultations on regional developments.”
Egypt has been seeking to marshal Arab allies against Trump’s plan for Gaza, with Abdelatty speaking with partners including Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Friday to shore up opposition to any potential forced displacement of Palestinians from their land.
Last week, Trump floated the idea of US administration over Gaza, envisioning rebuilding the devastated territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East” after resettling Palestinians elsewhere, namely Egypt and Jordan.
The remarks have prompted global backlash, and Arab countries have firmly rejected the proposal, insisting on a two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.