US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Saudi Arabia after concluding a visit to Israel.
Rubio is expected to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia. On the agenda is likely to be US President Donald Trump’s proposal for the Palestinian residents of Gaza to be resettled in other Arab nations and for the US to lead the reconstruction of the Strip.
That proposal has infuriated the Arab world and heightened fears among Palestinians in Gaza of being driven out of the coastal territory.
Saudi Arabia, alongside other Arab nations, has rejected any plan that involves resettling Palestinians, and Riyadh is spearheading Arab efforts to develop a counterproposal, which could involve a Gulf-led reconstruction fund and a deal to sideline Hamas.
Bin Salman has also insisted that Saudi Arabia would not normalize ties with Israel — a longstanding goal of Washington — without an agreement on a pathway to a Palestinian state, a condition Israel rejects.
Rubio’s Saudi visit also comes ahead of expected talks with Russian officials aimed at ending Moscow’s nearly three-year war in Ukraine.
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From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 17, 2025
