Arab top diplomats hold closed-door talks over post-war Gaza

CAIRO — Arab foreign ministers met behind closed doors in Cairo on Monday ahead of an extraordinary Arab League summit focused on a plan to counter US President Donald Trump's proposal to take over Gaza and expel its residents.

The ministers held a "preparatory and consultative" session centred on an Arab plan to reconstruct the war-battered enclave without displacing its 2.4 million residents, a source at the Arab League told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The meeting was closed to the press, the source said, adding that the plan "would be presented to Arab leaders at Tuesday's summit for approval".

Ahead of the session, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate meetings with Arab counterparts, including from Jordan, Bahrain, Tunisia, Iraq and Yemen, as well as the Palestinian top diplomat.

During the meetings, Abdelatty called for "moving forward with early recovery projects" in Gaza without displacing Palestinians, an Egyptian foreign ministry statement said.

Trump triggered global outrage when he floated a plan for the United States to "take over" the Gaza Strip and turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East", while forcing its Palestinian residents to relocate to Egypt and Jordan.

The plan has united Arab countries in opposition, with Riyadh hosting a consultative meeting of Arab leaders last month to discuss "joint efforts in support of the Palestinian cause". 

At a news conference in Cairo on Sunday, Abdelatty said the Gaza reconstruction plan was ready and would be presented to Arab leaders at the summit in Cairo for approval.

Trump has recently appeared to soften his stance on the plan.

"I think that's a plan that really works, but I'm not forcing it," Trump said. "I'm just gonna sit back and recommend it."