Arab leaders adopt Egypt's Gaza reconstruction plan

CAIRO/GAZA - Arab leaders approved on Tuesday an Egyptian reconstruction plan for Gaza, which is estimated to cost $53 billion and aims to avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave.

The plan was accepted at the closing of the emergency Arab summit held in Cairo with full support from participating Arab leaders.

The summit also agreed to form a non-factional technocratic committee to administer Gaza for at least six months under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority.

Following the summit, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told a press conference that Egypt will begin to promote its reconstruction plan internationally.

He detailed that the plan includes the establishment of a seaport and an airport in the Gaza Strip and the recycling of the rubble left by the destruction in Gaza.

According to the summit's final statement, the Arab leaders issued a warning that any attempts to displace the Palestinian people or to annex any part of the occupied Palestinian territory would lead the region into a new phase of conflict, undermine opportunities for stability, and expand the conflict to other countries in the region.

The Arab leaders pledged to provide all types of financial, material, and political support for the implementation of the reconstruction plan, urging the international community and financing institutions to promptly provide the necessary support for the plan, according to the statement.

The Arab leaders also emphasized the urgency of implementing the second and third phases of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, stressing the importance of each party's commitment to its obligations, particularly the Israeli side, to achieve a permanent cessation of "aggression" against Gaza.

They demanded that Israel should completely withdraw from the Gaza Strip, including the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt, and ensure safe, adequate, and immediate access to humanitarian, shelter, and medical aid without obstacles.

The Arab leaders vowed to work on establishing a trust fund to receive financial pledges from all donor countries and financing institutions to implement recovery and reconstruction projects.

The plan counters a previous proposal by US President Donald Trump, which suggests redeveloping Gaza and relocating Gazans to neighboring countries, including Egypt and Jordan.

Oren Marmorstein, spokesperson for Israel's foreign ministry, rejected the plan on X, reiterating Israel's support for Trump's plan.

For his part, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the UN's readiness to back the Egypt-drafted plan, stressing that Gaza should remain as part of the State of Palestine.

Describing the situation in Gaza as "horrific," Guterres called for allowing humanitarian aid into the enclave.

Hamas welcomed the summit's outcomes, saying that they reflect significant political support for the Palestinian cause, particularly amid the escalation of "Israeli aggression."

In a press statement, Hamas praised the positions of Arab leaders during the summit, highlighting their rejection of attempts to displace Palestinians or undermine their cause.

Hamas stressed that the unified Arab stance sends a clear message that the Palestinian "Nakba," the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, will not be repeated.

The group also commended the summit's adoption of the Gaza reconstruction plan, calling for all necessary resources to ensure its success.