U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has embarked on his first official visit to the Middle East. Following Trump’s proposal to displace Palestinians from Gaza, Rubio arrived in Israel on Saturday (February 15), according to British news agency Reuters.
A statement from the U.S. State Department said that during this visit, Rubio will discuss the consequences of Hamas attacks, the current situation in Gaza, and the regional impact of Trump’s proposal.
On January 25, Trump made a controversial proposal, stating that Palestinians should be expelled from Gaza and resettled in Jordan and Egypt. His statement was met with strong criticism from Amman and Cairo.
Following this, on February 4, after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump suggested taking control of Gaza. He mentioned that the U.S. was considering taking over Gaza while relocating nearly 2.3 million Palestinians.
Although other officials in his administration claimed that the displacement plan would be temporary, on February 10, the U.S. President further stated that under his plan, Palestinians would not be allowed to return to Gaza in the foreseeable future.
Trump’s remarks have sparked widespread global outrage. In particular, Palestinians—who have long feared permanently losing their homeland—strongly opposed the proposal.
Meanwhile, the Arab world, led by Saudi Arabia, is working on an alternative plan to counter Trump’s proposal. They argue that regional peace and security can be achieved without displacing Palestinians, and they are determined to prove it through their own strategy.