Rubio's Mideast trip begins amid Gaza plan controversy
Shafaq News/ US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel for his first visit to the Middle East since taking office.
On Sunday, he is scheduled to hold talks with Israeli officials as part of a broader itinerary that also includes visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to AFP.
Rubio’s visit comes in the wake of widespread international criticism of President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to relocate Gaza’s Palestinian residents to neighboring countries—primarily Egypt and Jordan—and to place the war-torn Gaza Strip under US control.
The proposal follows more than 15 months of war that has resulted in the deaths of over 62,000 Palestinians.
Addressing the issue, Rubio indicated that the United States is open to alternative solutions proposed by Arab nations. "If the Arab nations have a better plan for Gaza, that would be a positive development," he said in remarks released by the US State Department on Thursday.
