The Arab League is meeting in Baghdad on Saturday to discuss Gaza and other regional crises, but some key leaders are expected to miss the talks that come straight after US President Donald Trump’s Gulf tour.
Trump sparked uproar earlier this year by declaring that America would take over Gaza and turn it into a “Riviera of the Middle East”, prompting Arab leaders to come up with a plan to rebuild the territory at a March summit in Cairo.Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas was the first Arab leader to arrive in Baghdad Friday.
But a diplomatic source said that most Gulf countries will attend at a ministerial level.The war in Gaza is expected to dominate the agenda, especially after Israel approved plans to expand its offensive and spoke of the “conquest” of the territory.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres will attend the summit, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez – who has sharply criticised Israel’s devastating offensive in Gaza – is expected to address it as a guest.
