The UN and Arab leaders support Egypt’s $53 billion plan for Gaza.

Leaders at an extraordinary meeting of the Arab League in Cairo have endorsed an Egyptian plan for the reconstruction of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

“It has been endorsed,” said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi told the closing session of the summit, at which he had presented a five-year plan to rebuild Gaza that will cost $53 billion (€50.5 billion), according to draft documents, and allow Palestinians to “remain on their land.”

“There will be no real peace without establishing a Palestinian state,” he had said earlier, opening the summit. “Peace will not come by force and cannot be forced.”

But in order for the ceasefire to proceed to the next phase, Israel has demanded Hamas’ disarmament, a move the Islamist group has called a “red line.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the discussions and endorsements in Cairo “failed to address the realities of the situation” following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The White House welcomed inputs from Arab nations, but insisted Hamas could not remain in power in Gaza, US National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said.

“President Trump has been clear that Hamas cannot continue to govern Gaza,” Hughes said, adding: “While the President stands by his bold vision for a post-war Gaza, he welcomes input from our Arab partners in the region.”

What we know so far about Egypt’s reconstruction plan
According to the 112-page draft document seen by the DPA and Reuters news agencies, an initial six-month recovery phase would focus on removing rubble and installing temporary housing at a cost of around $3 billion.

In a first phase proper, the plan calls for the building of 200,000 housing units in Gaza over the next two years. A second stage will see 200,000 more housing units.

By 2030, the plan foresees hundreds of thousands of new homes housing up to 3 million people as well as an airport, industrial zones, hotels and parks.

President Sissi said an “independent” Palestinian body would manage Gaza under the reconstruction plan, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas saying his Palestinian Authority would be prepared to play a role.