Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepared for meetings on Sunday in Jerusalem as political chaos rippled across the Middle East over President Trump’s insistent proposals to seize the devastated Gaza Strip and force out its Palestinian residents. The trip is Mr. Rubio’s first to the region as secretary of state, and comes as Israel and…
Finding themselves in the fickle cross hairs of President Trump, Jordan and Egypt are moving with speed — and uncertain prospects of success — to dissuade, distract and divert him from forcing them to take in Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. For the two Arab governments, who view Mr. Trump’s proposal that they take in…
The future of the cease-fire in Gaza and the territory’s long-term fate hung in the balance on Tuesday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel warned Hamas that if the scheduled release of hostages did not take place on Saturday, the truce would end and Israeli troops would resume “intense fighting.” Mr. Netanyahu’s warning came…
President Trump insisted Tuesday that the United States had the authority to “take” Gaza and that other countries in the region would absorb the Palestinians who currently live there, speaking as he sat beside Jordan’s king in the Oval Office. “We will have Gaza,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s a war-torn area. We’re going to take…
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is scheduled to hold an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday after Hamas said it was postponing the next release of Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip, increasing the pressure on an already fragile three-week cease-fire. The security cabinet is set to consider how — or whether — to move…
President Trump said on Monday that he could cut aid to Jordan and Egypt if they refused his demand to permanently take in most Palestinians from Gaza, substantially increasing the pressure on key allies in the region to back his audacious proposal to relocate the entire population of the territory in order to redevelop it….
A suggestion by President Trump to “clean out” the Gaza Strip and ask Egypt and Jordan to take in more Palestinians raised new questions on Sunday about United States policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and two of its most important allies in the Middle East. Mr. Trump’s comments appeared to echo the wishes of the…