By Muhammad Al Gebaly and Kanishka Singh (Reuters) -Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday that Arab states rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's widely condemned plan to displace Palestinians in Gaza and take control of the enclave.

The statement comes as Trump continues to press for his scheme to take over the Gaza Strip and displace its population to neighboring Egypt and Jordan despite rejection from Arab states. For his part, US Secretary of State Rubio said Washington is open to hearing alternative plans from Arab allies who oppose Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared exasperated and sighed on Tuesday when a reporter asked President Trump about his plans to “take over” Gaza. The president met with the King of Jordan at the White House to discuss his ultimatum of withholding aid from Jordan and Egypt if they don’t comply with his proposal to re-house Palestinians as part of his plan for U.