Ammon News - The foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Qatar, as well as a Palestinian official, sent a joint letter to their US counterpart, Marco Rubio, opposing plans to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, and instead calling for the involvement of Palestinians in the process of rebuilding Gaza.
The letter is part of a joint effort by America's Arab allies to convince President Trump to abandon repeated suggestions Palestinians be relocated from Gaza to Egypt, Jordan and other countries while the reconstruction efforts takes place.
Trump's repeated comments about moving Palestinians from Gaza alarmed many Arab countries who see that as a threat to the stability of Egypt and Jordan.
The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan as well as Palestinian presidential adviser Hussein al-Sheikh met in Cairo over the weekend and decided to send the letter to Rubio.
It was delivered to the State Department on Monday by the ambassadors of the five Arab countries, two sources with direct knowledge told Axios.
The Arab ministers stressed in the letter that the Middle East is already "burdened by the largest displaced and refugee populations in the world" and added that the economic and social situation in the region is fragile.
"We must be vigilant not to increase the risk to regional stability by further displacement, even if only temporary as it increases the risk of radicalization and unrest in the region as a whole," they wrote to Rubio.
They stressed that any reconstruction in Gaza needs to take place with the involvement of the Palestinian residents.
"Palestinians will live in their land and help rebuild it and should not be stripped of their agency during reconstruction and must take ownership of the process with the support of the international community," they added.
The Arab ministers also warned Rubio against possible deportation of Palestinians by Israel.
"Palestinians do not want to leave their land. We support their position unequivocally. Such a move will add a new dangerous dimension to the conflict," they wrote.
The Arab foreign ministers wrote to Rubio that their countries want to work with President Trump's "vision of peace" in the Middle East and stressed they believe Trump can do what previous presidents couldn't.
They added that the best way to do it is through a two-state solution and stressed they are ready to create the regional conditions that will ensure the security of Israel and the Palestinians. Axios