Egypt to host emergency Arab summit to discuss 'serious' Palestinian developments

Egypt will host an emergency Arab summit on February 27 to discuss what it described as "serious" developments for Palestinians, according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

The summit comes amid regional and global condemnation of U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion to "take over the Gaza Strip" from Israel and create a "Riviera of the Middle East" after resettling Palestinians elsewhere.

Apart from drawing widespread backlash, Trump's proposed plan has cast a shadow of uncertainty over a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, raising concerns that it may derail negotiations for the second phase of the truce, which aims to bring an end to the 15-month-long war.

The emergency summit will also come after expected talks between senior officials from the new Trump administration and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, who departed for Washington on Sunday, according to the ministry.

The visit aimed "to boost bilateral relations and strategic partnership between Egypt and the U.S." and would include "consultations on regional developments," the ministry said.

(With input from Reuters, AFP)