The de facto chief of Saudi Arabia, the crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman, met three upper members of the Trump administration on Monday, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who visited the kingdom to discuss the future of Gaza and Ukraine.
The visit of Mr. Rubio, the national security advisor Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff, the Middle East Middle East envoy, were criticized that the Trump administration acts without consulting relevant foreign partners in wars in both countries.
Mr. Rubio also met earlier in the day with Faisal Bin Farhan, the Saudi Foreign Minister.
Little was published on the content of the meetings, with the exception of a video of a brief exchange between the men in which the prince said he was happy to work with the Trump administration.
Mr. Rubio, who flew to Riyadh of Israel, and his colleagues had to put pressure on Saudi leaders to offer a vision of Gaza from the post-war period. President Trump’s idea to depopulate and occupy the territory stimulated great opposition in the Arab world, including in Saudi Arabia. This led Mr. Rubio and other US officials to encourage Arab leaders to suggest an alternative.
After their meeting, the State Department said that Mr. Rubio and the Crown Prince discussed developments in Gaza, Mr. Rubio stressing “the importance of an arrangement for Gaza which contributes to regional security”, according to Tammy Bruce, spokesperson for the State Department.
The three American envoys were also due to meet Tuesday in Riyadh with Russian officials to discuss the future of the Russian-Ukraine war.
In addition to getting angry the Arab allies to his controversial proposal for Gaza, Mr. Trump frustrated his partners in Europe when he spoke last week unilaterally with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia of the future of the Ukraine. Its administration has also said that European governments will not play any role in future talks, despite the conflict that takes place within European borders.
The measures have aroused concerns in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, where the leaders fear being sidelined the discussions that will dictate the future of their country. Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, reiterated in an interview on Sunday that his country would accept “never” a peace agreement concluded by the United States and Russia if Ukraine was not involved in talks.
Mr. Rubio’s visit intervenes in the middle of swirling uncertainty over the future of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as long-term governance of the territory.
Israeli officials had to meet in Cairo on Monday to eliminate disagreements for sending humanitarian aid, including temporary housing, such as tents and trailers in Gaza. But the Israeli government has not yet decided to advance the negotiations to extend the truce, which will be launched in early March unless Hamas and Israel restart the talks. The ministers of the Israeli cabinet were to meet on Monday evening to debate the issue, but it was not sure that they would vote on it.
Israeli management wants to avoid extending the truce if it allows Hamas to survive war as a military force. But Hamas, although indicating a desire to share the administrative control of the territory, seems little willing to disarm its military wing.
Trump suggested ending the dead end by depicting Gaza and sending his residents to Egypt and Jordan – a decision strongly opposed to these countries as well as in Saudi Arabia. The forced expulsion of the Palestinians is ethnic cleaning and a war crime, according to experts in international law.
The proposal of the Trump administration has created a new obstacle to the eternal objective of Israel to normalize diplomatic links with Saudi Arabia. Saudi management has said that it would not recognize Israel if the Palestinians are moved from Gaza, or if Israel refuses to create a path to Palestinian sovereignty.
The discussion became heavier after Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, suggested that Saudi Arabia welcomes Palestinian refugees and create a Palestinian state on Saudi soil.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia rejected Mr. Netanyahu’s statements as “an extremist and occupying state of mind” which does not understand the historical and cultural importance of Palestinian lands.
Here is what is happening elsewhere in the region:
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The Israeli army said on Monday that it had killed a Hamas higher agent Muhammad Shaheen, on strike in Lebanon. Hamas has long maintained a presence in Lebanon and has often acted in coordination with its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah. The strike occurred one day before a ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah was in breeding. The officials hope to extend the truce, even if Israel should keep the troops in several positions inside the Lebanese border after the deadline.
Gabby Sobelman The reports contributed to Rehovot, Israel and Edward Wong contributed to Washington.
