Chief International Correspondent
ReutersThe $53 billion (£41.4 billion) reconstruction plan rivals the US president’s idea to “take over 2 million Palestinians to “take over” Gaza” by Arab leaders at an emergency summit in Cairo, Egypt’s capital.
“The Egyptian plan is currently the Arab plan,” announced at the end of the meeting at the time, Ahmed Abour Gate, the secretary general of the Arab League.
Without particularly mentioning President Trump’s idea, he emphasized that “the Arab stance is to refuse evacuation, whether it is voluntary or forced.”
Egypt created a detailed blueprint with 91-page shiny documents containing images of lush neighbours and spectacular public buildings, countering the US scheme labelled “Middle Eastern Riviera” that shocked the Arab world and beyond.
What sets this new plan apart is that it is not just property development. The flag is politics and the rights of the Palestinians.
In his opening remarks, Egyptian President Abdul Fatta al-Sisi called for a parallel plan alongside Israel, along with a physical reconstruction to move towards what is known as the solution for the Palestinian state, two states. This is widely seen by Arab countries and many others and is seen as the only permanent solution to this enduring conflict, but has been firmly ruled out by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies.
The new plan proposes that Gaza will be temporarily run by the “Gaza Trustees, a Gaza Trustees under the Palestinian Government.”
It praises the question of which roles Hamas plays. There was a vague reference to the “distance” of extremist groups, saying the issue would be resolved if the cause of the conflict with Israel was removed.
It is known that some Arab countries are seeking a complete dismantling of Hamas. Others believe that those decisions should be left to the Palestinians. Hamas is said to have accepted that it doesn’t play a role in running through Gaza, but made it clear that disarming is a red line.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described President Trump’s plans as “foresight,” repeatedly excludes the future role of not only Hamas but Palestinian authority.
Other sensitive issues of security were addressed by calling the UN Security Council to deploy UN security officials.
And next month’s major international conference will be held to raise the huge amount of money needed for this reconstruction project.
The wealthy Gulf countries seem willing to put forward some of the huge bills. But no one is ready to invest unless they are certain that another war will crash the building.
A fragile ceasefire that appears to be on the brink of collapse now only amplifies that hesitation.
This new Arab plan to rebuild Gaza will unfold in three phases, including an early period of about six months, known as the early recovery phase, and will begin clearing the vast amount of tile bleeds and the unexploited ordinance. The following two stages last for several years.
During this period, Palestinians, which are said to be 1.5 million, are said to be housed in temporary containers. The glossy brochure photo presents a designed residential unit set in a rather well-maintained area.
President Trump is voicingly wondering, “Why don’t they want to move?” His account of Gaza as a “dismantling site” emphasizes the way the territory is completely ruined. The United Nations says 90% of the homes are damaged or destroyed.
From schools and hospitals to sewage systems and power lines, everything is shredded in the basics of life worth living.
The US President was shocked and angry at his idea when he posted an Ai-generated video of Golden Gaza on his true social account, featuring a sparkling figure of himself. Everything becomes a catchy song with lines like “Trump Gaza is finally here.”
“They had President Trump in mind,” said a western diplomat who attended a briefing on Egypt’s plans at Cairo’s Foreign Ministry. “It’s very shiny and very well prepared.”
Cairo’s proposal is said to be based on a wide range of expertise, from World Bank experts to World Bank experts on sustainability to Dubai hotel developers.
There are also lessons learned from other devastated cities that rose from ruins such as Hiroshima, Beirut, and Berlin. The proposed design is also influenced by Egypt’s own experience in developing a “new Cairo.” This is a major grang mega project where new administrative capital is escalating from the desert.
The US president has said he won’t “force” his ideas on anyone, but he still insists that his plans “really work out.”
Now it is up to the Arab countries and their allies to prove that their plan is the only one.
