Marco Rubio
Marco RubioReuters/Lenin Nolly/NurPhoto

A coalition of five Arab foreign ministers and a senior Palestinian Arab official have jointly sent a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressing opposition to any plans that would displace Palestinian Arabs from Gaza, Barak Ravid of Axios reported on Monday.

Instead, the leaders urged for Palestinian Arab participation in the region’s reconstruction efforts, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Axios.

The letter reflects a coordinated effort by key US allies in the Arab world to push back against President Donald Trump’s repeated suggestions that Gazans should be relocated to Egypt, Jordan, or other nations during the rebuilding process.

Trump’s comments on the potential relocation of Gazans have raised concerns among several Arab governments, which view such a move as a potential threat to the stability of Egypt and Jordan.

During a meeting in Cairo over the weekend, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan—along with senior Palestinian Authority official Hussein al-Sheikh—decided to send the letter to Rubio, according to Axios.

According to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, ambassadors from the five Arab nations delivered the letter to the State Department on Monday.

In the letter, the Arab ministers highlighted the already significant burden on the Middle East, which they noted is home to "the largest displaced and refugee populations in the world." They also emphasized the region’s fragile economic and social conditions.

"We must be vigilant not to increase the risk to regional stability by further displacement, even if only temporary as it increases the risk of radicalization and unrest in the region as a whole," they wrote to Rubio.

The letter underscored the importance of ensuring that Palestinian Arabs play a central role in rebuilding Gaza.

"Palestinians will live in their land and help rebuild it and should not be stripped of their agency during reconstruction and must take ownership of the process with the support of the international community," they added.

Additionally, the ministers warned Rubio about any potential deportation of Palestinian Arabs by Israel.

"Palestinians do not want to leave their land. We support their position unequivocally. Such a move will add a new dangerous dimension to the conflict," they cautioned.

Despite their concerns, the Arab officials conveyed their willingness to collaborate with President Trump’s broader Middle East peace efforts, stating in the letter that they support his "vision of peace" and believe he has the potential to accomplish what previous US presidents could not.

They reiterated that achieving lasting peace hinges on a two-state solution and signaled their readiness to help establish the necessary regional conditions to secure both Israel and Palestinian Arabs.

Trump first floated his Gaza relocation plan in late January, telling reporters he had discussed the idea with King Abdullah II of Jordan.

“I’d like him to take people. I’d like Egypt to take people,” said Trump of the Jordanian King, “You’re talking about, probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You know it’s, over.’”

The President added he considered the potential relocation of Palestinian Arabs from Gaza as something that “could be temporary or long term,” noting the historical context of conflicts in the region over centuries.

Several days later, Trump doubled down on the idea, telling reporters he had brought it up in a conversation with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.

“I’d like to get them living in an area where they can live without disruption, revolution … when you look at the Gaza Strip it’s been hell for so many years,” said Trump.

"I wish [Sisi] would take some [Gazans]. We helped them a lot, and I'm sure he'd help us. He's a friend of mine. He's in a very rough part of the world, to be honest. As they say, It's a rough neighborhood. But I think he would do it, and I think the King of Jordan would do it too," continued Trump.

A day later, Trump once again talked about the idea and expressed confidence that Egypt and Jordan would cooperate with it.

“They will do it, they will do it. They’re going to do it. We do a lot for them, and they’re going to do it,” Trump stated.