The UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, rejected the US President Donald Trump’s proposal to take over the Gaza Strip and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” after displacing its people.
Responding to a question about Trump’s proposal at the Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs), Starmer said that Palestinians “must be allowed home.” The PMQs is a constitutional convention during which the Prime Minister answers questions from members of Parliament (MPs).
UK Position on Displacement
In early February, Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey, said that the US President’s comments about the forceful displacement of 1.8 million people from Gaza made many of British MPs “alarmed,” calling these statements “dangerous.” He asked the UK Prime Minister whether he would communicate these concerns to the White House “directly and firmly.”
In response, Starmer emphasized that the most important issue is the continuation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. “That means that the remaining hostages come out and the aid that is desperately needed gets into Gaza at speed and at the volumes that are needed,” he said.
The UK Prime Minister stressed that Palestinians in Gaza “must be allowed home.” He also pointed to the UK’s support of the two-state solution to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, saying: “They must be allowed to rebuild and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution.”
Trump’s Proposal
Trump has sparked controversy with a proposal suggesting displacing the people of Gaza and resettling them in neighboring countries while the US take over the Strip and transform it into a “Riviera of the Middle East.” This proposal has been categorically rejected by the Palestinians as well as Arab and Western countries, facing strong regional and global condemnation.
In response, Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt, are working on a reconstruction plan that rebuilds Gaza without forcing its people out of their territories.
Joint Arab Action
On Friday, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Egypt and Jordan convened in an informal meeting in Riyadh. During the meeting, they discussed joint efforts to support the Palestinian cause and address developments in the Gaza Strip, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
In the same context, Egypt will host an emergency Arab Summit on March 4, 2025 to discuss the latest developments in the Palestinian cause and the joint Arab action regarding the reconstruction of Gaza.
Gaza Reconstruction Plans
On Thursday, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, said that Egypt is finalizing a comprehensive reconstruction plan in coordination with the Palestinian Authority to rebuild Gaza while ensuring that Palestinians remain in their homeland.
Speaking at the G20 Foreign Ministers Summit in Johannesburg, Abdelatty confirmed that Egypt will host an international conference on Gaza’s reconstruction in cooperation with the United Nations, according to the Middle East News Agency.
On Wednesday, the Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, said that Egypt has the expertise and capability to rebuild Gaza within three years, according to Egypt’s Al-Ahram Newspaper. “From a technical and engineering perspective, we possess the full capability to restore Gaza to a condition even better than its pre-destruction state within three years,” Madbouly said.
