Monitoring Desk
In a significant diplomatic development, Arab leaders have endorsed Egypt’s ambitious $53 billion plan for Gaza’s reconstruction, rejecting US President Donald Trump’s proposal for a restructured enclave without Hamas. The decision, announced at an Arab League summit in Cairo, seeks to rebuild Gaza over five years while ensuring Palestinians remain on their land.
The Egyptian initiative, backed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the United Nations, contrasts sharply with Trump’s “Middle East Riviera” vision, which the White House argues better addresses Gaza’s “uninhabitable” reality. The US administration remains firm on its stance that any reconstruction efforts must exclude Hamas, a position that has drawn regional criticism.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi emphasized that the plan includes “transitional governance arrangements” in alignment with the long-standing two-state solution. The reconstruction effort is divided into two key phases: a two-year stage focusing on 200,000 housing units, followed by an additional 200,000 homes and an airport over the next two and a half years.
Palestinian President Abbas welcomed the initiative, denouncing any attempts to displace Palestinians and urging the US to align its efforts with Arab-led solutions. Meanwhile, Hamas has outright rejected any proposal for its disarmament, with senior leader Sami Abu Zuhri declaring that the group’s weapons remain a “red line.”
As diplomatic tensions grow, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has thrown his support behind the Arab-led plan, calling for urgent ceasefire negotiations. With the US and Arab states at odds over Gaza’s future, the coming months will be critical in determining the trajectory of both reconstruction and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
