The Lebanese Al Akhbar network reported Friday morning that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has retreated from his previous stance and is now offering a city in Sinai to temporarily accommodate up to half a million Arabs from Gaza.
Prominent Arab diplomatic sources told Al-Akhbar that the positions of Cairo and Amman, which had previously taken a firm stance against the displacement project for Gaza’s population, have undergone a significant shift in the past month. Senior Arab officials noticed this change during two meetings held in Riyadh and Doha. The discussions focused not only on the high likelihood of a return to war in Gaza but also on the potential for its expansion to other fronts, particularly in Yemen and Iran. A diplomat who participated in both meetings on regional developments summarized the outcomes to Al-Akhbar as follows:
First, the Riyadh meeting was unprecedented in terms of the full participation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who played a central role in proposing ideas and seeking solutions. He urged participants to focus on realistic and practical decisions that could serve as a foundation for any future actions by Arab countries, emphasizing the long-term consequences of current events on the Arab world for decades to come.
It was also noted that the enthusiasm for the discussions was shared by UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, with clear support from Kuwait and Egypt’s keen interest in understanding the role the Gulf states would play in the coming period, as well as the nature of their relations with the United States.
Second, the participants concluded that there was no viable alternative to the two-state solution. They emphasized the need for Arab-Arab and Palestinian-Palestinian understandings first, before engaging in practical discussions with the American side.
The attendees also discussed the issue of reconstruction in Gaza, with an open conversation about the significant conditions imposed not only by Israel but also by the United States. At this point, the attendees were taken aback by a “troubling” signal from Egypt, as President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi informed the group of his country’s willingness to facilitate the process. He proposed approving the “temporary evacuation of half a million Palestinians from Gaza to a city designated for them in North Sinai.”
HALTING HUMANITARIAN AID DID THE TRICK
According to the report, all the information coming from Israel suggests that the resumption of the war against the Gaza Strip is part of a larger initiative that appears to align with the US administration’s objectives. This comes amid a strong consensus within Israel to continue the fight against “the entire axis led by Iran,” with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telling his domestic critics that the United States is leading the war and that Israel cannot afford to remain on the sidelines.
Al Akhbar highlighted that three weeks ago, reports from Israel indicated that the faltering ceasefire agreement in Gaza resulted from a clear decision by Israel. UN teams and international organizations active in the aid sector observed a noticeable shift in the tone of Israeli officials, who stated that lifting the blockade on Gaza was not feasible at that moment. They added that unless Arabs agreed to accept at least half of Gaza’s population, the Strip would not receive aid.
At the same time, there was increasing discussion about Hamas’s efforts to “impose full control over the Strip” and its initiative to rebuild its administrative and service structures in a matter of weeks to facilitate the return of residents to northern areas. Al Akhbar cited Israeli officials who claimed that Hamas was overseeing the aid distribution process and was diverting a portion of it to rebuild its military forces.
“Throughout this period, Israeli officials justified the strict aid deliveries by emphasizing the need to prevent funds from strengthening Hamas and other resistance factions in the region, which were allegedly supported by an Iranian-led program,” Al Akhbar reported.
With the appointment of Major General Eyal Zamir as the new IDF Chief of Staff, those involved in the aid programs noticed changes. Foreign correspondents in Jerusalem began hearing discussions about the imminent resumption of fighting, with reports suggesting that Jerusalem had convinced the Trump administration to take direct control of the situation, sidelining Arab mediators. According to Al Akhbar, this approach was accepted by the Trump team, which subsequently led to direct negotiations with Hamas.
This coincided with American warnings to Arab parties against providing excessive support to Gaza’s residents. At the same time, American diplomacy was actively engaging with Saudi Arabia and Egypt, urging them to reconsider their opposition to displacing the people of Gaza. The goal was to move toward a middle ground under the framework of “voluntary and temporary displacement.”
THE BEGINNING OF A SHIFT IN CAIRO’S POSITION
It was noteworthy, according to Al Akhbar, that Qatar, which has long supported Hamas, softened its position on the terror group’s role in governing Gaza. However, it refused to completely remove Hamas from the scene and only agreed to a framework that would effectively exclude Hamas from any leadership role in Gaza in the short run. The attendees also discussed the need for an understanding to prevent the outbreak of a PA Arab civil war, should the Americans decide to support groups opposed to Hamas.
The attendees stated that they wanted American guarantees to halt the ongoing Israeli annexation efforts in Judea and Samaria. The Saudi Crown Prince informed the group of his country’s rejection of the American offer for Saudi Arabia to manage the holy sites in eastern Jerusalem. It was agreed that the matter would be left to the King of Jordan, with efforts focused on persuading Mahmoud Abbas’s team to initiate a comprehensive reform process for the Palestinian Authority. This reform would allow the PA to play a more significant role in both Judea and Samaria and Gaza. The Arab states would pledge to protect Judea and Samaria from any annexation project.
Establishing a refugee city in northern Sinai would require Cairo to open the border to Gaza residents wishing to leave voluntarily, which raised concerns on the Jordanian side. Jordan expressed its readiness to help shelter refugees, but only those from the families of the wounded, and for a limited time.
