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Latest from the Middle East: Egypt delays Arab summit regarding Gaza to March 4

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Latest from the Middle East: Egypt delays Arab summit regarding Gaza to March 4
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Egypt has decided to delay an emergency Arab summit aimed at addressing U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal concerning the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that the summit is now set to take place in Cairo on March 4 to allow for additional “logistical and objective preparations,” though no further details were provided.

Initially planned for February 27, the summit was a response to the uproar following Trump’s suggestion that the Palestinian residents of Gaza could be relocated, a notion that has been met with widespread condemnation from Palestinians and Arab nations alike. In contrast, Israel has shown support for the proposal, which rights organizations argue could be classified as forced displacement, potentially conflicting with international law.

Trump’s suggestion also included the resettlement of Palestinians in Egypt and Jordan. However, both countries have firmly rejected this idea, with Egypt cautioning that such measures could jeopardize its longstanding peace treaty with Israel.

In related news, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees has reported that Israeli forces have closed four of its schools located in east Jerusalem. Israel has severed all connections with this agency, known as UNRWA, and prohibits it from operating in areas under its jurisdiction, citing concerns about alleged infiltration by Hamas, which UN officials have denied.

On Tuesday, UNRWA stated that Israeli police forcibly entered a training center, employing tear gas and sound grenades, while ordering the evacuation of the facility. During this incident, around 350 students and 30 staff members were present at the Qalandiya Training Center. Furthermore, police and city officials ordered the closures of three additional schools in east Jerusalem, although two of these schools continued their activities despite the orders.

So far, Israeli authorities have not issued any statements regarding the situation. Roland Friedrich, the UNRWA director for the occupied West Bank, including east Jerusalem, characterized the raids as “an unacceptable violation of United Nations privileges and immunities” and expressed concern about the infringement on the right to education for children and trainees.