Key events
Opening summary
It is approaching 9.30am in Gaza City, Tel Aviv and Cairo, and 11am in Tehran.
Egypt’s foreign ministry has said it plans to present a “comprehensive vision” for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip that ensures Palestinians remain on their land. The statement late on Tuesday follows further comments from US president Donald Trump about his desire for the US to take over Gaza and permanently displace 2 million Palestinians living in the territory.
Cairo “hopes to cooperate” with Trump’s administration on the matter, the foreign ministry said, with the goal of “reaching a fair settlement of the Palestinian cause”.
It said its plan would provide for the reconstruction of Gaza “in a clear and decisive manner that ensures the Palestinian people stay on their land, and in line with the legitimate and legal rights of this people”.
The US president has said he could “conceivably” halt aid to Egypt and Jordan if they refuse to accept Palestinian refugees. “We contribute a lot of money to Jordan, and to Egypt by the way – a lot to both. But I don’t have to threaten that. I think we’re above that,” Trump said.
Egypt and the US exchanged invitations for state visits last month, but none have yet been scheduled.
Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said earlier the establishment of a Palestinian state was “the only guarantee for achieving lasting peace” in the region, according to a statement from his office.
In other developments:
-
Jordan’s King Abdullah II reacted to Trump’s latest comments on taking over Gaza by urging all sides “not to get ahead of ourselves”. During a White House press conference with the US president he said: “The president is looking at Egypt coming to present their plan, we will be in Saudi Arabia to discuss how we can work with the president and with the United States.” He added: “So I think let’s wait until the Egyptians can come and present it to the president and not get ahead of ourselves.”
-
Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Mustafa denounced Trump’s Gaza proposal. West Bank-based Mustafa said in a statement on Tuesday, that the Palestinian Authority “underscored the absolute rejection of all schemes to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from Gaza, as well as Israel’s annexation schemes in the West Bank, which undermine the realisation of the independent Palestinian state.” Hamas condemned Trump’s latest comments doubling down on his Gaza proposal, describing them as “racist” and “a call for ethnic cleansing”.
-
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would end the ceasefire if Hamas failed to free Israeli hostages by midday on Saturday. He said: “The decision that I passed unanimously in the cabinet is this: If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon – the ceasefire will be terminated, and the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated.” Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, warned it would “return to military operations and fighting” if Hamas does not release hostages.
-
The UN urged Israel and Hamas to make sure the ceasefire holds as tension over a possible delay of the latest hostage release ratcheted up. The UN secretary-general António Guterres appealed to both sides to stick to their commitment. Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, according to reports. In a statement, Hamas said that it holds Israel accountable for any “complications or delays”.
-
Trump has said he does not think Hamas will make the Saturday deadline for the hostage release, adding Hamas must have all hostages out by Saturday or “all bets are off”.
