Main events on Februari 21st
- The Red Cross has confirmed it has received another coffin from Hamas, which the Palestinian armed group has claimed contains the body of Israeli captive Shiri Bibas.
- The handover comes after Israeli authorities accused Hamas of a “horrific violation” for sending the body of an unidentified person and falsely claiming it to be the Israeli woman in an earlier exchange.
- Hamas explained the error, saying Bibas’s body may have been mixed with other human remains after an Israeli air attack struck where she was being held in Gaza.
- Hamas has named six Israeli captives set to be freed later today as Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem-Tov, Omer Wenkert, Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed. Israel will release a total of 602 Palestinian prisoners in exchange.
- The leaders of seven Arab countries have met in Saudi Arabia to discuss an Egypt-led alternative to US President Donald Trump’s push to “take over” Gaza and displace its population.
- Trump has since softened his rhetoric, saying that while he is a “little bit surprised” Jordan and Egypt oppose his Gaza plan, he will only “recommend” it rather than impose it.
- The Israeli military has killed two Palestinian children – both 13 years old – in separate attacks in Jenin and Hebron in the occupied West Bank.
Arab leaders discuss ‘Palestinian cause’, Gaza developments in Riyadh meeting
As we previously reported, the leaders of seven Arab and Gulf states met in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Friday to discuss an Egypt-led alternative reconstruction plan to President Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza and displace its Palestinian population.
Saudi state news agency, SPA, has now released a statement following that meeting, which it described as an “informal brotherly gathering”.
“The meeting included consultations on various regional and international issues, with a focus on joint efforts to support the Palestinian cause and address developments in the Gaza Strip,” the SPA wrote.
It added that the “leaders welcomed the emergency Arab summit scheduled for Cairo on March 4, 2025”, after which the first phase of Egypt’s reconstruction plan is expected to begin should the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas hold.
Egyptian plan to rebuild Gaza could have ‘huge ramifications’ for years to come
An important gathering that took place here in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] leaders listened to the plan that was presented by the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Egypt has its own proposal for rebuilding Gaza.
It is going to be based on phases that start with clearing the debris all the way towards the final reconstruction of the entire area that was destroyed during more than a year and a half of relentless Israeli bombardment.
To be able to move forward, you need to have a financial contribution from wealthy GCC countries. There is an international estimate of about $53bn to be able to rebuild Gaza, a mammoth task, which is going to take up to 10 years.
But there’s absolutely no doubt that those GCC countries committed themselves to rebuilding Gaza will have conditions attached to the commitments they’re going to make. Particularly the terms of the reconstruction, but most importantly, the issue of who is going to take over Gaza.
There is a growing consensus now that it is about time to consider handing over control of the area to the Palestinian Authority. Now, when it comes to that particular issue, they’re going to go to the Egyptian capital Cairo on the 4th of March for a broader consensus.
They’re going to invite Arab leaders to come up with a unified stance, first of all, an alternative to the Trump proposal and number two, tackling the delicate issue of who takes over Gaza.
But this is undoubtedly an extremely important moment for the Arab region, and this explains why many people have been saying that the meeting that took place here in Riyadh could have huge ramifications on the entire region for many years to come.
