Abu Dhabi, UAE – The United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan informed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday that his country firmly rejects a proposal to displace Palestinians from their land, as reported by the Emirati state news agency WAM.
President Nahyan’s comments came in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal for a U.S. takeover of Gaza and the resettlement of its Palestinian inhabitants in Jordan and Egypt. This proposal has sparked widespread opposition among Arab countries and Western allies.
During their meeting in Abu Dhabi, Nahyan emphasized the importance of linking the reconstruction of Gaza to a path leading to “a comprehensive and lasting peace based on the two-state solution” to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The UAE’s stance on the conflict is significant as it is one of four Arab countries that normalized ties with Israel during the first Trump administration and has played a role in financing reconstruction efforts after previous conflicts.
Arab diplomacy on Gaza is focused on developing an alternative to Trump’s plan for the territory, which lies in ruins after Israel’s 15-month military campaign against Hamas, leaving nearly all of its 2.3 million inhabitants homeless.
The leaders of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, and Qatar are expected to discuss the plan in Riyadh this month before presenting it at an Arab League summit in Cairo in March.