In public comments, Saudis non-committal to Trump’s Gaza plan

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met for about three hours with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday as the Trump administration looked for clarity on Riyadh’s position on a pan-Arab plan for post-war Gaza.

Rubio was joined by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff, who arrived in Riyadh a short time before the meeting. The three are set to converge again on Tuesday for Saudi-hosted talks with Russia on a potential end to the war in Ukraine.

“We’re glad to work with you and with President Trump. And his administration made a decision, and we can work (for) positive things for Saudi Arabia and America, and also for many countries around the world,” bin Salman said at the top of the meeting.

The decision he referred to was likely U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of his vision for Gaza, which includes relocating its citizens to Egypt and Jordan, leading to a U.S. takeover and re-development of the Strip.

The Saudis reacted with a swift, forceful statement hours after Trump’s surprise pronouncement, rejecting all components of the plan.

Since then, Trump has hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah at the White House, and he has appeared to back off his demands of Jordan and Egypt after Abdullah diplomatically brushed aside the notion, instead offering to take in 2,000 sick Palestinian children from Gaza.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi reportedly delayed a planned visit this week to the White House, instead opting to first take part in an Arab summit at the end of the month to formulate a plan for Gaza to counter Trump’s.

The White House has said it is open to hearing ideas from its regional allies.

The Saudis made no mention of Gaza at all in their readout of the meeting with a royal statement indicating the sides “reviewed aspects of the bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and ways to enhance and develop them in various fields.”

The meeting was also focused, according to Riyadh, on “the latest regional and international developments,” and exploring “efforts aimed at achieving security and stability.”

The U.S. State Department said in a statement that Rubio highlighted the historic strength of the bilateral relationship and “looked forward to increased economic and defense cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia and committed to further strengthening” ties between Washington and Riyadh.

The State Department added that Rubio and bin Salman “reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring that Hamas releases all hostages, including American citizens,” and that Rubio “underscored the importance of an arrangement for Gaza that contributes to regional security.”

Other topics of discussion included Syria, Lebanon and freedom of movement in the Red Sea, where the Iranian proxy Houthis continue to menace ships.

Rubio met earlier on Tuesday with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

Following meetings with Russian officials, Rubio is set to conclude his Middle East swing on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, with discussions with Emirati officials.

©️JNS