Arab leaders gathered in Saudi Arabia on Friday to discuss countering Donald Trump’s proposal for US control of Gaza and the expulsion of its people.

The US president’s plan has united Arab states in opposition, but disagreements remain over who should govern the war-ravaged Palestinian territory and how to fund its reconstruction.

Umer Karim, an expert on Saudi foreign policy, called the summit the “most consequential” in decades for the wider Arab world and the Palestinian issue.

Mr Trump triggered global outrage when he proposed the United States “take over the Gaza Strip” and relocate its 2.4 million people to neighbouring Egypt and Jordan.

A source close to the Saudi government told the AFP news agency that Arab leaders would discuss “a reconstruction plan to counter Trump’s plan for Gaza”.

The Gaza Strip is largely in ruins after more than a year of war between Israel and Hamas, with the United Nations recently estimating that rebuilding would cost at least $53 billion (£41.9 billion).