CAIRO, Feb 9, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty left for Washington on Sunday to meet with top US officials and members of Congress after President Donald Trump floated a plan to relocate Gazans to Egypt and Jordan.

His departure came as Cairo announced it would host an "emergency Arab summit" on February 27 to discuss "the latest serious developments" concerning the Palestinian territories.

According to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry, Abdelatty's visit aims "to boost bilateral relations and (the) strategic partnership between Egypt and the US", and will include "consultations on regional developments".

Egypt has been seeking to marshal Arab allies against Trump's plan for Gaza, with Abdelatty speaking with partners including Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Friday to shore up opposition to any forced displacement of Palestinians from their land.

In a separate statement, the ministry said Cairo was calling an emergency regional gathering "after extensive consultations by Egypt at the highest levels with Arab countries in recent days, including Palestine, which requested the summit".

It also coordinated with Bahrain, which currently chairs the Arab League, the statement said.

Last week, Trump floated the idea of US administration over Gaza, envisioning rebuilding the devastated territory into the "Riviera of the Middle East" after resettling Palestinians elsewhere, namely Egypt and Jordan.

The remarks have prompted global backlash, and Arab countries have firmly rejected the proposal, insisting on a two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.