The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday the postponement of the emergency Arab summit regarding developments in Gaza and the Palestinian territories, which was initially scheduled to take place at the end of February.
اضافة اعلان
In a statement, the ministry confirmed that Egypt will now host the summit on March 4, "as part of completing the necessary logistical and substantive preparations."
The statement added, "The new date was set after coordination with the Kingdom of Bahrain, which currently holds the presidency of the Arab League Council at the summit level, and in consultation with Arab countries."
Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ambassador Hossam Zaki, had stated on Monday that the summit, originally planned for February 27 in Egypt, was likely to be postponed due to "logistical considerations related to the schedules of Arab leaders."
Regarding the summit’s agenda, Zaki explained that it aims to "unify the Arab stance on the Palestinian issue, especially in light of the Arab rejection of Israel's displacement plan, which was later adopted by the U.S. administration."
He added that Egypt "will present a proposal focusing on the reconstruction of Gaza through the efforts of the Palestinians themselves, ensuring the creation of local job opportunities without the need to displace residents outside the Strip."
Former U.S. President Donald Trump had previously proposed a plan that involved the U.S. taking control of Gaza and relocating its Palestinian residents to other countries, primarily Egypt and Jordan—a proposal that was met with rejection from Arab nations and the Palestinians.
In this context, Zaki affirmed that the Arab position on the U.S. plan "will become clearer during official dialogue with the American side," emphasizing that the foundation "must be respect for the will of the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination."
Regarding the five-party summit set to take place in Riyadh, which includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, and Qatar, Zaki stated that these countries "have maintained continuous coordination since the beginning of the war in Gaza through regular meetings at the level of foreign ministers and relevant officials."
He also noted that "the possibility of inviting Palestine to attend this summit is under consideration," suggesting that it may lead to "a general framework for the Arab position, which would later be presented to the Arab League."
