Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty to discuss the ongoing situation in Gaza.
In a statement from State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, it was noted that “The Secretary thanked the Foreign Minister for Egypt’s mediation efforts in securing the release of hostages and the ceasefire, as well as continuing humanitarian assistance deliveries throughout Gaza.”
The statement went on to mention that Rubio “also reinforced the importance of holding Hamas accountable. The Secretary reiterated the importance of close cooperation to advance post-conflict planning to ensure Hamas can never govern Gaza or threaten Israel again.”
It was not specified in the statement whether Rubio addressed President Donald Trump’s recent proposal to relocate Gazans to Egypt, as well as to other countries like Jordan.
The idea of relocating Gazans was first mentioned by Trump over the weekend, when he told reporters that he had discussed it with King Abdullah II of Jordan.
“I’d like him to take people. I’d like Egypt to take people,” Trump said about the Jordanian king, “You’re talking about, probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You know it’s, over.’”
Trump went on to suggest that the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza could be either temporary or long-term, pointing out the historical context of conflicts in the region that have spanned centuries.
On Monday, Trump reiterated his position, saying he had brought up the idea again during a conversation with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
“I’d like to get them living in an area where they can live without disruption, revolution … when you look at the Gaza Strip it’s been hell for so many years,” Trump commented.
“I wish [Sisi] would take some [Gazans]. We helped them a lot, and I’m sure he’d help us. He’s a friend of mine. He’s in a very rough part of the world, to be honest. As they say, It’s a rough neighborhood. But I think he would do it, and I think the King of Jordan would do it too,” Trump added.
Trump’s remarks came shortly after Egypt’s Foreign Ministry had already rejected his idea, reaffirming Egypt’s “continued support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land.”
{Matzav.com}