Arab leaders endorse alternative Gaza plan

The Arab leaders' endorsement of an alternative to a widely condemned "irrational" proposal by United States President Donald Trump should be "the concrete way forward" for Gaza and Washington and Tel Aviv should toe the line, according to experts.

Hosted by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, representatives of Arab nations unanimously approved on Tuesday an Egyptian reconstruction plan for Gaza with a price tag of about $53 billion. It aims to avoid unnecessarily and illegally depopulating Gaza at the closing of an emergency summit held in Cairo.

The reconstruction plan for Gaza is a 112-page document focusing on emergency relief, infrastructure restoration and long-term economic development. It projects that rebuilding the enclave would take five years and the first two-year phase would cost $20 billion.

Also under Egypt's plan, Hamas would cede power to an interim administration of political independents until a reformed Palestinian Authority can assume control.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the idea, saying his administration could assume "its duties in the Gaza Strip through its governmental institutions". He urged Trump to support it. But in a statement posted on X, the Israel Foreign Ministry said the Arab summit "fails to address the realities of the situation following Oct 7, 2023, remaining rooted in outdated perspectives".

Haydar Oruc, a former researcher at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies in Turkiye, said that Egypt's "essentially, comprehensive plan "also addresses not only Gaza but other Palestinian territories.

He said the Egyptian plan also envisages some arrangements in the context of the two-state solution and urged the Trump administration to support this plan "in order to end the conflicts in the region and to establish an environment of peace and tranquillity".

"In fact, considering the policies that Trump is trying to implement in his (second time as president),(The Arab endorsement) seems to be the most rational choice to support such a plan that does not impose a cost on the US and will ensure the stabilization of the region," Oruc told China Daily.

UN backing

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the UN's readiness to back the plan, saying Gaza "must remain an integral part of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, with no forced transfer of its population". Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said violence will not be stopped by displacing Palestinians, and reconstruction is viable while keeping Gazans on their land.

Saul Takahashi, former deputy head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in occupied Palestine, told China Daily that the Arab plan "is significant" as it showed unity among Arab countries.

But he also said it was doubtful the Arab plan would go anywhere without serious pressure on Israel.

Israel, in its post, slammed the Egyptian proposal for the absence of condemnation of Hamas' "brutal terrorist attack".

Israel argued that Trump's idea provided the opportunity for Gazans to "have a free choice based on their free will", further blaming the Arab states for "rejecting this opportunity without giving it a fair chance and continuing to level baseless accusations against Israel".

The White House said it welcomed "input" from the Arab nations on Trump's proposal but emphasized Hamas cannot remain in power.

"The fact that Egypt has prepared such a plan and that the Arab League, together with all its stakeholders, stands behind it and calls for the adoption of the most feasible and cost-effective plan for the United States instead of Trump's irrational Gaza plan is an important development," said Oruc.

Agencies and Xinhua contributed to this story.