Sat Feb 22 19:17:47 UTC 2025: ## Arab Leaders Reject Trump’s Gaza “Riviera” Plan, Seek Alternative
**RIYADH/CAIRO** – Following US President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to relocate over two million Palestinians from Gaza and develop a Mediterranean “riviera” in its place, Arab leaders have convened to formulate an alternative plan for the war-torn region. A Friday meeting in Riyadh, involving Gulf nations, Egypt, and Jordan, yielded no immediate counter-proposals, but participants pledged to continue discussions in Cairo in the coming weeks.
Trump’s plan, announced earlier, has drawn widespread international condemnation for its suggestion to forcibly displace Palestinians to neighboring countries. Arab nations have explicitly rejected the proposal. The meeting in Riyadh aimed to develop a viable alternative that addresses the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has suffered 15 months of conflict. Experts, including Dania Thafer of the Gulf International Forum and Georgetown University, and Yossi Mekelberg of Chatham House, are closely monitoring the situation. Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab highlighted the need for a practical and logical approach to achieving peace. Whether the Arab nations can present a compelling alternative that will sway President Trump remains to be seen.
First Piper 