Rebuilding Gaza: Egypt to table a counter plan to Trump’s proposal of American control —AP

Agencies RIYADH

Arab leaders are set to convene in Saudi Arabia this Friday to address proposals concerning the Gaza Strip, specifically in response to a plan that suggests American oversight and the relocation of its population. The summit aims to present a unified Arab stance against this proposal. Umer Karim, a Saudi foreign policy expert, said the plan stirred rare unity among Arab states which roundly rejected the idea, but they could still disagree over governance and reconstruction funding.

The impetus for the gathering stems from widespread Arab disapproval of the suggested plan, which calls for the United States to "take over the Gaza Strip" and relocate its 2.4 million residents to neighboring Egypt and Jordan. According to a source close to the Saudi government, leaders will discuss a reconstruction plan in opposition to the aforementioned proposal. This discussion will involve a version of an Egyptian plan, as indicated by Jordan’s King Abdullah II during a meeting with President Donald Trump  in Washington.

The summit, initially planned among Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Jordan, has been expanded to include all Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the Palestinian Authority. Egypt’s proposed counter-initiative, as outlined by former diplomat Mohamed Hegazy, consists of three technical phases spanning three to five years. The initial six-month “early recovery phase” would involve debris removal and the establishment of temporary safe zones.

The second phase would focus on utility infrastructure rebuilding, requiring an international conference for detailed planning. The final phase would address urban planning, housing construction, and the provision of educational and healthcare services. A UN estimate placed the reconstruction cost at over $53 billion, with more than $20 billion needed in the first three years. This final stage would also aim to establish a political track towards a two-state solution, fostering a sustainable truce.

Achieving this plan would necessitate an unprecedented level of Arab unity, according to Karim. However, challenges persist, particularly concerning financing.