The de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, the hereditary prince Mohammed Bin Salman, met on Monday with three senior members of the Trump administration, including the secretary of state Marco Rubio, who were visiting the kingdom to discuss the future of Gaza e Ukraine.
The visit of Mr. Rubio, a National Security Councilor Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff, correspondent for the Middle East of Trump, arrived in the midst of criticism on the fact that the Trump administration was acting without consulting foreign partners relevant on wars in both countries.
Mr. Rubio also met at the beginning of the day with Faisal Bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister.
Little was released on the content of the meetings, with the exception of a video of a short exchange among the men in which the prince said he was happy to work with the Trump administration.
Mr. Rubio, who flew to Riyadh from Israel, and his colleagues should have pressing Saudi leadership to propose a post -war vision for Gaza. The idea of President Trump to depopulate and occupy the territory has stimulated the widespread opposition in the Arab world, even in Saudi Arabia. This brought Mr. Rubio and other US officials to encourage Arab leaders to suggest an alternative.
After their meeting, the State Department said that Rubio and the hereditary prince discussed developments in Gaza, with Mr. Rubio underlined “the importance of an agreement for Gaza that contributes to regional security”, according to Tammy Bruce, spokesman for the State Department.
The three US envoys also had to meet Tuesday in Riyadh with Russian officials to discuss the future of the Russia-Ukraine war.
In addition to anchoring the Arab allies with his controversial proposal for Gaza, Trump frustrated his partners in Europe when he spoke unilaterally last week with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on the future of Ukraine. His administration has also affirmed that European governments will have no role in future interviews, despite the conflict that takes place in the European borders.
The moves aroused concern in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, in which leaders fear to be put aside by the discussions that dictate the future of their countries. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian president, reiterated in an interview broadcast on Sunday that his country would have “ever accepted” a peace agreement close by the United States and Russia if Ukraine was not involved in the interviews.
Rubio’s visit arrives in the midst of swirling uncertainty about the future of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as the long -term governance of the territory.
Israeli officials had to meet on Monday at Cairo to iron the disagreements on sending humanitarian aid, including temporary accommodation, such as curtains and trailers, in Gaza. But the Israeli government has yet to decide whether to advance the negotiations to extend the truce, which will expire at the beginning of March unless Hamas and Israel restore interviews. The Israeli cabinet ministers would meet on Monday evening to discuss the matter, but it was not certain that they would vote on it.
Israeli leadership wants to avoid extending the truce if it allows Hamas to survive war as a military force. But Hamas, although indicating the desire to share the administrative control of the territory, seems unwilling to disarm its military wing.
Trump suggested ending the impasse by depopulating Gaza and sending his residents in Egypt and Jordan – a move strongly opposite by those countries and Saudi Arabia. The forced expulsion of the Palestinians would be an ethnic cleaning and a war crime, experts of international law say.
The proposal of the Trump Administration has created a further obstacle to the length of lengths of Israel to normalize the diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia. Saudi leadership said that it does not recognize Israel if the Palestinians are displaced by Gaza or if Israel refuses to create a path towards Palestinian sovereignty.
The discussion became fuller after Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, suggested that the guest of Saudi Arabia hosted Palestinian refugees and create a Palestinian state on the Saudi soil.
The Ministry of Foreign Arabia Saudi rejected Mr. Netanyahu’s statements as those of “an extremist, who occupy mentality” that cannot understand the historical and cultural meaning of the Palestinian land.
Here’s what else is happening in the region:
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The Israeli army declared Monday that she had killed a Hamas Senior agent, Muhammad Shaheen, in a strike in Lebanon. Hamas has long maintained a presence in Lebanon and has often acted there in coordination with his Lebanese ally, Hezbollah. The strike came one day before a ceased fire between Israel and Hezbollah spent a cease. Officials hope to extend the truce, even if Israel should keep troops in different positions within the Lebanese border beyond the deadline.
Gabby Sobelman Reports contributed by Rehovot, Israel and Edward Wong contributed to Washington’s reports.