Via Aya Batrawy in npr.org: There was no final communique, press conference or details of when the meeting started or ended, in contrast to standard protocol when Arab leaders meet. Instead, a single photo was released on Friday, showing Arab leaders standing shoulder-to-shoulder in Saudi Arabia for what the kingdom called an informal brotherly gathering, though with lofty discussion on Gazas future. Arab countries, keen to maintain warm ties with Trump as president, have rejected the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza while not directly condemning Trumps idea. Egypt and Jordan view the plan as destabilizing to their security and the region. The UAE, which has close ties with Israel and opposes Hamas in Gaza, has emphasized that reconstruction of Gaza must be linked to the establishment of a Palestinian state. An assessment this week by the U.N., World Bank and European Union says Gaza and the occupied-West Bank need at least $53 billion for reconstruction and recovery over the next decade. The U.N. says 95% of Gazas schools have been damaged or destroyed, as have more than 90% of homes and most hospitals, roads, water systems and agricultural land. Another U.N. estimate says more specifically that nearly 300,000 homes have been completely destroyed in Israeli airstrikes.
