Emirati ambassador to Washington says ‘no alternative’ to Trump's Gaza plan
‘I don’t see an alternative to what’s being proposed. I really don’t,’ says Yousef al-Otaiba
Displaced Palestinians continue to return to their homes in theThousands of displaced Palestinians continue to return to their homes on foot or in horse-drawn carriages and vehicles as they pass through the Er-Rashid street in Gaza Strip on January 31, 2025.
ISTANBUL
Emirati Ambassador to Washington Yousef al-Otaiba said that he does not see “an alternative” to US President Donald plan for Palestinian displacement from the Gaza Strip.
Al-Otaiba made the statement during the World Government Summit in Dubai on Wednesday amid regional and international opposition to Trump's plan to take over Gaza and displace Palestinians elsewhere.
During a session at the summit, al-Otaibi was asked by his interviewer if common ground could be found with the Trump administration regarding Gaza, he said Abu Dhabi was “going to try” to find common ground with the US president.
He termed the US approach to Gaza as "difficult."
“But at the end of the day, we're all in a solution-seeking business, we just don't know where it's going to land yet,” the diplomat said.
When asked if the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is working on an alternative plan to Trump's proposal, al-Otaiba responded: "I don’t see an alternative to what’s being proposed. I really don’t.”
“So if someone has one, we’re happy to discuss it, we’re happy to explore it, but it hasn’t surfaced yet.”
On Tuesday, Egypt announced that it would propose a plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing the territory’s population.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II also emphasized the urgent need to begin Gaza’s reconstruction without displacing Palestinians.
On Wednesdsay, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed received a phone call from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during which he emphasized the importance of working towards a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, ensuring security and stability for all based on a two-state solution, the state news agency WAM reported.
Israel has turned Gaza into the world’s largest open-air prison, maintaining an 18-year blockade and forcing nearly 2 million of its 2.3 million residents into displacement amid dire shortages of food, water, and medicine due to deliberate restrictions.
Trump’s proposal to displace Palestinians came amid a ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement that took hold in Gaza on Jan. 19, pausing Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed more than 48,200 people and left the enclave in ruins.
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