Arab countries adopt alternatives to Egypt’s “Gaza Riviera” plan to replace Trump at summit
Arab leaders on Tuesday passed a reconstruction plan for Egypt’s Gaza that would cost $53 billion and avoid resettlement of Palestinians, contrary to U.S. President Donald Trump’s vision for the “Middle East Riviera”.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said the proposal had been accepted at the end of a summit in Cairo.
Xixi said at the summit that he was sure Trump could achieve peace in the conflict that undermined the Gaza Strip.
The main question that needs to be answered in the future of Gaza is who will operate the enclave and which countries will provide the billions of dollars needed to rebuild.
Xixi said that Egypt had worked with the Palestinians to establish an administrative committee of the independent, professional Palestinian technical committee governed by Gaza.
He said the committee will be responsible for oversight of humanitarian aid and affairs in the temporary management zone to prepare for return to the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Palestinian President Welcomes Egypt Plan
Another key issue is the fate of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, a rival to the Palestinian Authority, the leader of Gaza, which attacked the war on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israel Tallies.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who heads Pennsylvania (PA), welcomes Egypt’s idea and urges Trump to support such a plan that will not involve the cancellation of Palestinian residents.
Abbas, who has ruled since 2005, also said he was ready to hold presidential and parliamentary elections if allowed, adding that his PA is the only legitimate government and military force in the Palestinian territory.
Abbas, an architect of the peace in Oslo in 1993, raised hopes for the Palestinian nation with Israel, whose legitimacy steadily undermined the Israeli settlement building that he supervised.
Now many Palestinians believe that his government is corrupt, undemocratic and loses contact.
Gulf countries are crucial to reconstruction funding
Any reconstruction funding will require large purchases from oil-rich Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates, such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which require billions of dollars.
Sources close to the matter said the UAE believes Hamas and other Islamists are existential threats and hopes to lay off employees entirely immediately, while other Arab countries advocate a gradual approach.
A source close to the Royal Court of Saudi Arabia said the persistent presence of armed forces in Gaza is a stumbling block due to strong opposition from the United States and Israel and they need to sign any plans.
Israel said it will continue to block all humanitarian aid entering Gaza unless Hamas agrees to extend the first phase of the ceasefire agreement to expire on Saturday. Hamas hopes to enter directly into the second phase of the original agreement, which includes the evacuation of all Israeli forces from Gaza.
In a speech at the summit, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said international assurances need to ensure that the current temporary ceasefire will remain in place and support the role of PA in the ruling striptease.
UAE and Qatar leaders did not speak at the public meeting of the summit.
Hamas was established in 1987 by the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt during the first Palestinian uprising or uprising.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, rejected Israel on Tuesday, and the United States called on the group to disarm, saying its right to resist is unnegotiable.
Abu Zuhri told Reuters that the organization would not accept any attempt to implement a project, or any form of non-Palestinian government or foreign forces.
Hamas drove the Palestinian authorities out of Gaza after a brief civil war in 2007, so it weakened all opposition there.
Draft agreement firmly rejects Palestine displacement
Egypt, Jordan and the Arab Gulf countries have consulted Trump’s ambitions to replace Palestinians and the reconstruction of American Gaza, which they fear will destabilize the entire region.
The draft final communique at the summit, which Reuters had seen previously, firmly rejected the massive displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.
Egypt’s plan to redevelop Gaza is a 112-page document that includes how its land is redeveloped as well as dozens of colorful AI-generated images of home development, gardens and community centers. The program includes commercial ports, technical hubs, beach hotels and airports.
A source familiar with the matter said Israel is unlikely to oppose an Arab entity and be responsible for the Gaza government if Hamas is not on the scene.
But an Israeli official told Reuters that the goal of Israel’s war is to destroy Hamas’ military and management capabilities.
“So if they are going to get Hamas to agree to demilitarization, it needs to be immediately. No one else can accept it,” the official said.
Sources familiar with Hamas said the group lost only a few thousand fighter jets in the Gaza war, of which more than 48,000 were killed, according to Palestinian health officials.
Israeli officials said about 20,000 Hamas fighters were killed and the group was destroyed as an organized military component.
