Shamsul Iskandar Akin, the prime minister’s senior political secretary, said both leaders had been vocal in representing the Islamic world on various issues, including the oppression of the Palestinian people.

“I think this is a very crucial time, especially after the US president (Donald Trump) announced his plan to take over the Gaza Strip, which, in my opinion, is completely unreasonable.

“I believe that the meeting between these two key and prominent leaders, who are also long-time friends, will have a significant impact on the international community’s efforts to find a way to successfully rebuild Gaza,” he told a press conference here today.

Trump reportedly said on Tuesday that the “US will take over the Gaza Strip”, shortly after proposing the permanent resettlement of Palestinians outside the enclave, to turn it into “the Riviera of the Middle East”.

International media reported that Trump’s controversial proposal had received widespread condemnation, with many calling it “ethnic cleansing” and a “war crime”.

Palestinian group Hamas, as well as several world leaders, have strongly rejected Trump’s statement, describing it as a misunderstanding and a deep ignorance of the Palestinian struggle and the region as a whole.