Somali PM arrives in Cairo for Arab League summit to counter Trump’s ‘Gaza Riviera’ plan

Source: Hiiraan Online, Tuesday March 4, 2025

Mogadishu (HOL) – Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre arrived in Cairo, Egypt, on Monday night to attend an emergency Arab League summit convened to address the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

The summit, scheduled for March 4, aims to formulate a unified Arab response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to establish control over Gaza and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s push to derail ceasefire efforts and escalate military operations.

The meeting, hosted by Egypt, will seek alternatives that uphold Palestinian rights and restore livable conditions in Gaza.

On February 21, representatives from Egypt, Jordan, and the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations met in Riyadh to prepare the agenda for the Cairo summit. The discussions in Riyadh focused on coordinated diplomatic strategies to counter the escalating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Somali government emphasized Somalia’s stance on the Palestinian cause at the United Nations Security Council’s 9841st meeting, which addressed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Government spokesman Farhan Mohamed Jimale said Prime Minister Barre will engage in sideline meetings with his counterparts and other Arab League leaders. These discussions will focus on rebuilding the Somali National Army and securing broader support for Somalia’s development initiatives.

Early on Sunday, the second day of Ramadan, Israel blocked the entry of all humanitarian aid to Gaza, claiming that Hamas is “in violation” of a last-minute US suggestion to extend the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza throughout Ramadan and Passover.

Israel had effectively blocked negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire – which was supposed to start on March 1 – because that would have entailed it withdrawing its troops from Gaza.