Egypt is spearheading a diplomatic drive to convene an Islamic summit to broaden opposition to US President Donald Trump's plan for the Gaza Strip, sources briefed on this effort have told The National.

Trump has said he wants to permanently displace Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians, take control of the war-devastated enclave and rebuild it as the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

The sources said Saudi Arabia and Qatar were also involved in the diplomatic effort to hold a summit of the 57-state, Saudi-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The Islamic gathering would be held after an Arab summit due to take place in Cairo on February 27, but no exact date has been agreed, said the sources. They added that it would take place in either Egypt or Saudi Arabia.

It is the latest in a series of diplomatic moves by Egypt to build broad international opposition to the proposals by Trump, which demand that Egypt and Jordan take in the Palestinians displaced from their homeland. He has threatened to withdraw aid from the two US-allied nations if they refuse.

The aim of the summits is to demonstrate a united and broad opposition front against Trump's Gaza proposals so that he may be persuaded to drop the idea, said officials.

However, observers say this course of action appears unlikely at present, given the frequency with which the US President asserts his commitment to the plans.

Egypt borders both Gaza and Israel with which it signed a US-sponsored peace treaty in 1979 that has long been considered a cornerstone of regional stability. The treaty, however, has come under growing stress since the Israel-Gaza war began in October 2023. Supporting Palestinians' right to self-determination is a central plank of Egypt's foreign policy, something that has often strained ties with Israel.

“Rallying the Arab and Muslim worlds against Trump's ideas for Gaza is meant to put pressure on the American president and influence public opinion in the West,” said one source.

“What Trump has proposed can possibly be undermined and made to eventually crumble, so long as there's Arab and Islamic unity. It's important at this juncture to revive the old sentiments and mindset of Arab nationalism. It's the best defence of the Palestinian cause.”

The Arab summit, the sources have said, will adopt an Egyptian proposal for convening a conference of international donors and regional stakeholders on the reconstruction of Gaza, where most built-up areas have been laid to waste by Israel's military campaign.