Marco Rubio to Visit Middle East Following Trump's Gaza Reconstruction Proposal

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s trip will address U.S. plans for Gaza and broader regional issues after President Trump suggested a controversial U.S.-led rehabilitation effort.

• Marco Rubio's Middle East trip, scheduled for February 13-18, will include stops in Israel, the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia after attending the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
• The visit follows President Trump's proposal for the U.S. to temporarily take control of Gaza to rebuild the war-torn region, which has drawn praise from Israel but strong opposition from Arab nations and rights groups.
• Trump's plan involves relocating Palestinians temporarily to facilitate reconstruction, an idea that has been criticized as echoing fears of permanent displacement among Palestinians.
• Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu has supported the plan, calling it a 'remarkable' vision for transforming Gaza, but neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan have rejected accepting displaced Palestinians.
• Rubio has framed the U.S. proposal as a response to the lack of international action on Gaza's rehabilitation, emphasizing the need for a solution to the area's uninhabitable conditions and unexploded munitions.

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