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Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu met in the U.S. last week for discussions over Gaza. /Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
"All President Trump is saying is 'I want to open the gate and give them an option to relocate temporarily while we rebuild the place physically. Guess what? We'll do the job.’"
It's safe to say Benjamin Netanyahu is a fan of Donald Trump's plan to move Palestinians out of the war-battered Gaza Strip to create the Middle East 'Riviera' and is happy for Israel to lead the reconstruction.
The Israeli Prime Minister was airing his thoughts in a Fox News interview on Saturday at the end of his Washington visit, defending Trump's proposal which has sparked condemnation across the Middle East and the world.
Netanyahu described it as the "first fresh idea in years and has the potential to change everything in Gaza."
More telling perhaps was his confession that "the real issue" was finding a country to take in displaced Gazans.
Arab nations, including Egypt and Jordan, strongly oppose any attempt to push Palestinians out of Gaza, fearing it would undermine prospects for a "two-state solution.”
This weekend, with the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel delicate, Gazan families continued to make their move home north and south with possessions piled high into cars and donkey carts. Many are walking long distances along the coastal road, arriving to piles of rubble.
According to the UN, at least 1.9m people, or about 90 percent of the population, across Gaza became displaced during 15 months of war. The UN estimates Gaza is left with at least 50 million tonnes of rubble and it would take around 15 years to clear with over 100 trucks full-time.
So as the make-shift camps fill up with migrating Gazans and peace hangs in the balance, what's next?
First up Egypt. Their foreign minister Badr Abdelatty left for Washington on Sunday to meet with top U.S. officials and members of Congress.
His departure came as Cairo announced it would host an "emergency Arab summit" on February 27 to discuss "the latest serious developments" concerning the Palestinian territories.
No doubt, high on the agenda will be Trump's plan to relocate Gazans to Egypt and Jordan.
According to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry, Abdelatty's visit aims "to boost bilateral relations and the strategic partnership between Egypt and the U.S." and will include "consultations on regional developments.”
Egypt has been seeking to marshal Arab allies against Trump's Gaza plan, with Abdelatty speaking with partners including Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Friday to shore up opposition to any forced displacement of Palestinians.
On Sunday, the topic of Saudi Arabia also triggered a flurry of high-level diplomatic activity.
It followed an interview by Netanyahu on Israeli TV on Thursday when he appeared to suggest a Palestinian state could be established in Saudi because they had "plenty of territory."
Palestinians get traveling after Israeli forces withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor. /Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters
Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the remarks "reflects a complete detachment from reality." The Saudi foreign ministry stressed "its categorical rejection to such statements." Qatar, key mediator in Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal negotiations between Hamas and Israel, described Netanyahu's statement as "provocative."
While Trump dreams of turning Gaza into an "international, unbelievable place", full of "representatives from all over the world", including Palestinians, time will tell whether his "clear-out" strategy is permanent or temporary.
No doubt Trump's Truth Social channel will keep the world updated on his latest views of the Middle East. The International Criminal Court will also be keeping a keen eye on the legality of events in and around Gaza, and with Netanyahu returning home, his security cabinet will soon reconvene to determine their next move.
Netanyahu wants action. He also seems intent on action within international legal parameters, but also with conditions for the Gazan residents and Hamas.
In his weekend interview, he added: "Get the population out, allow them to leave. Not forcible eviction, not ethnic cleansing. Give them an option to relocate temporarily while we rebuild the place physically and while we also rebuild it in terms of radicalization. You want to come back? You have to disavow terrorism, but you can come back.”
Some Gazans may actually be desperate for a fresh start in other countries. Many though clearly want to stay, recalling the 'Nakba' or catastrophe after the 1948 war around the creation of the state of Israel, when 700,000 fled or were forced from their homes.
One woman, currently camping in the central town of Deir al-Balah, said: "After the U.S. made Israel destroy our houses in Gaza, Trump is telling us that Gaza is destroyed and we have to leave? If there is only one drop of blood left in our children, we won't go out of Gaza. We won't give up on it!"
One entrepreneurial Gazan pledged to start serving food from the restaurant he owns even before it is rebuilt.
"There is nothing that cannot be repaired," said resident Assad Abu Haseira, "Trump says he wants to change the restaurants, and he wants to change Gaza and wants to create a new history for Gaza.
"We remain Arab and the history of Arabs will not be replaced with the history of foreigners."
Negotiations on the second stage of the fragile three-part ceasefire agreement are expected to start as soon as this week in Qatar. Late on Sunday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Trump would meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and possibly Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
As the world's top leaders and diplomats race around the globe to discuss Gaza, the stakes couldn't be higher.
The fate of Israel's hostages, peace and stability in the Middle East and beyond and the future of millions of Gazans in need of a new home are at stake.