Trump, in Netanyahu’s Presence, Calls for the Permanent Displacement and Resettlement of Gaza’s Population in Jordan and Egypt /  Aoun Calls for Resuming Drilling in Lebanon’s Economic Zone… Qatar Ready to Assist

 February 05, 2025

The political editor wrote

Former U.S. President Donald Trump presented Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with an extraordinary political gift, openly declaring – while standing alongside Netanyahu – his support for the permanent displacement and resettlement of Gaza’s population in Jordan, Egypt, or any other country. Despite the sheer brutality of this proposal and its blatant nature as ethnic cleansing and forced expulsion, the question remains: Who has the power to implement such a plan? The people of Gaza have made their stance clear for the past sixteen months, enduring relentless bombardment and destruction; they will not leave. And on the day the ceasefire was declared, they reaffirmed this position, choosing to return to their ruined homes rather than abandon Gaza.

The meeting between Trump and Netanyahu, heavily focused on advancing the implementation of the Gaza Agreement and securing the Lebanon ceasefire, but remains shrouded in ambiguity when it comes to the issue of Saudi-Israeli normalisation – a matter of particular interest to Trump. The key questions remain: What are Israel’s obligations to secure this goal? And where does the prospect of a Palestinian state fit into the equation, given Saudi Arabia’s insistence on it as a prerequisite for normalisation?

In Lebanon, the visit of Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani included meetings with President Joseph Aoun, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam, and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Discussions covered the Lebanon ceasefire agreement and Israel’s ongoing violations, as highlighted in Speaker Berri’s statement following the meeting, which underscored the severity of Israeli transgressions. Meanwhile, President Aoun’s remarks stood out as he expressed his intent to resume oil and gas exploration in Lebanon’s economic zone – a project by a Total-led consortium that includes Qatar. The Qatari prime minister, for his part, reiterated his country’s unwavering readiness to assist Lebanon.

On the government formation front, deadlock remains the dominant theme. Despite a coordinated media campaign by the Lebanese Forces and Change MPs against Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam, Salam has resumed negotiations with the Lebanese Forces and the Moderation Bloc over ministerial representation in the upcoming government. According to parliamentary sources, while no final agreement has been reached, talks are ongoing and will continue until the new government is formed.