President Donald Trump will meet with a select group of Arab and Muslim leaders to discuss potential strategies for resolving the Gaza conflict.
Trump to Meet Arab Leaders on Gaza, West Bank Annexation
The meeting is scheduled to take place ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s visit to the White House on September 29, as reported by Axios on Sunday. The meeting is expected to address the recent wave of Western countries recognizing the State of Palestine and Israeli threats of annexing parts of the occupied West Bank.
The White House has issued invitations for a meeting set for Tuesday at 2:30 pm ET, inviting the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
Reports indicate the White House is seeking their input on a post-war plan for Gaza and the potential deployment of a stabilization force to take over from the Israeli military.
Trump is also slated to meet separately on the same day with leaders from several Persian Gulf nations—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
Israel Strike On Gulf, Palestinian State Tension Prompt Meeting
The meeting comes in the wake of a recent Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar, which Trump expressed dissatisfaction with but was not surprised by. This attack was the first of its kind on a Gulf country, prompting concerns from other Gulf nations, who are seeking assurances from the Trump administration that such attacks will not recur.
Also, on Sunday, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal recognized a Palestinian state, a move driven by frustration over the Gaza conflict and aimed at advancing a two-state solution, provoking a strong reaction from Israel. This decision by four traditionally pro-Israel Western nations brings them in line with over 140 countries that support the Palestinians' goal of establishing an independent homeland in the occupied territories. The U.S called this move by allies “performative,” reported Times of Israel.
Meanwhile, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) President Brad Smith has defended employee terminations following Gaza-related office protests. Smith also announced an external investigation into the alleged Israeli military misuse of Azure cloud services for Palestinian surveillance.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
