US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet at the White House in Washington, DC, US, Feb. 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

Egypt will host an emergency Arab summit on 27 February to discuss what it described as “serious” developments for Palestinians, according to a statement from the Egyptian foreign ministry on Sunday.

The summit comes amid regional and global condemnation of US President Donald Trump’s suggestion to “take over the Gaza Strip” from Israel and create a “Riviera of the Middle East” after resettling Palestinians elsewhere.

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Relatives hug a released Thai hostage, who was kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and held in Gaza, as the hostages arrive in Thailand following their release, at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, in Samut Prakan, Thailand, February 9, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

When Surasak Rumnao, 31, left his home in Thailand’s rural Udon Thani province three years ago to go across the world to the southern Israeli town of Yesha for agriculture work, his family never imagined they would lose touch with him for over a year when he was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in October 2023.

He and four others were reunited with their families this weekend after their release from captivity in Gaza.

Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists abducted more than 250 people, including Israelis and foreign nationals, in their October 2023 attack on Israel.

During the attack, Hamas terrorists killed more than 40 Thais and kidnapped 31 Thai laborers, some of whom died in captivity, according to the Thai government. Later that year, the first group of Thai hostages was returned.

Surasak’s mother, Khammee Rumnao, was relieved that her son was not mistreated and has returned to his home, about 620 km(385 miles) northeast of the capital, Bangkok.

“He mainly got to eat bread, he was looked after well and was fed all three meals (each day). He got to shower, he was looked after well,” Khammee said, and that he ate whatever his captors had.

Her son does not plan to go back and wants to use the knowledge he gained in his agricultural work in Israel at their home, she said.

His grandparents and other relatives came to their home to welcome him home.

His stepfather, Janda Prachanan, was elated.

“I couldn’t find the words to describe how happy I am, that my son is safe and finally home,” he said.

Earlier on Sunday, the other returnees, dressed in winter jackets, were met with tears of joy from their families who were waiting for their arrival at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.

“We are all deeply touched to come back to our birthplace … to be standing here,” said Pongsak Thaenna, one of the returnees said. “I don’t know what else to say, we are all truly thankful.”

Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, who met the hostages in Israel after their release last week, expressed relief.

“This is emotional … to come back to the embrace of their families,” he said. “We never gave up and this was the fruit of that.”

Before the conflict, approximately 30,000 Thai laborers worked in Israel’s agriculture sector, making them one of the largest migrant worker groups in the country. Nearly 9,000 Thais were repatriated following the October 7 attacks.

The workers primarily come from Thailand’s northeastern region, an area comprising villages and farming communities that is among the poorest in the country.

Thailand’s foreign ministry said a Thai national is still believed to be held captive by Hamas.

“We still have hope and continue to work to bring them back,” Maris said, adding that this includes the bodies of two deceased Thai nationals.

The post Thai Nationals Held Captive by Hamas in Gaza Return Home first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

US President Donald Trump speaks at the White House, in Washington, DC, Feb. 3, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

JNS.org – US President Donald Trump’s groundbreaking idea about Gaza shows concern about the well-being of both the Palestinian Arabs and Israel. The rules of war say that those wanting to flee a war zone for their safety should be given refuge. In the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, for instance, some 7 million Ukrainians fled the war zone and found refuge in other countries.

There is a real wish among Palestinian Arabs to leave Gaza; some polls before the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, found that as many as 40% wanted to leave—and that was before the war. Arab countries, however, with the support of U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres (and against international law), have refused to offer refuge to Gazans. Instead of finding safe harbor in a neighboring country, they have been used as human shields by Hamas making it difficult for Israel to take the actions necessary to defeat the terror group.

Once the war ends—with the hostages back home, Hamas defeated and Israel victorious—it is estimated that it will take 10 years or more to make the coastal enclave habitable once again. Where, then, should the Palestinian Arabs live? Trump rightly said that Arab states need to absorb them. Those who oppose his position show a disregard for the welfare of the very people they so desperately claim they want to help.

Trump believes that the United States should financially benefit by putting money into Gaza and rebuilding it. To ensure that the terrorists do not return and see a return on their investment in the Strip, the United States must maintain control even as it becomes a cosmopolitan city with a diverse population. For an idea of what could be, look at Monaco, which is even smaller than Gaza and remains highly desirable.

Interestingly, Trump’s critics say that if the Gazans leave voluntarily, they must be allowed to return, given that many people have left countries they have lived in for decades without any right of return. Ironically, some of the countries that oppose Trump’s plan are the same ones that kicked out their Jewish citizens after hundreds of years—seizing their homes, property, money, goods—with no hope of ever returning and no compensation.

It may be no surprise that Trump supports Israel and its leader, given that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have faced similar experiences in the last few years strengthening an already strong bond. Both men have faced political prosecutions on ridiculous charges; those against Trump have largely been dropped while Netanyahu’s trial continues to drag on, and the International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued a warrant for his arrest warrant.

Trump and Netanyahu have triumphed against enormous adversity. For Trump, it was a battle for voters to win the US election and presidency. For Netanyahu, it has been the battle against Hamas, the obliteration of Hezbollah, the pulverization of the Syrian military and the crushing of Iran’s air defenses. Netanyahu and Trump respect each other’s tenacity, so it was fitting that the Israeli prime minister was the first foreign leader to visit him at the White House.

Those who oppose Trump’s plan have failed to present an alternative that would provide the Palestinian Arabs with a place to live while Gaza remains uninhabitable. They have also not provided sound reasons for why the United States should not help rebuild Gaza and ensure that it will not once again become a hotbed of terrorism.

Trump understands that Israel is America’s best ally, and that his actions and policies will strengthen that alliance, greatly benefiting both countries. He has also brought in a fresh new approach to the region—one that can bring peace to Israel’s southern border and provide better lives for Palestinian Arabs.

The post Trump Is Ready to Upend the Status Quo in Gaza first appeared on Algemeiner.com.