Egypt counters Trump proposal, develops plan to rebuild Gaza

• Egypt’s President is expected to travel to Riyadh on Thursday to discuss an Arab plan for rebuilding Gaza. It includes a possible $20 billion from the region.
• Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are also involved.
• The Arab proposal entails forming a national Palestinian committee to govern Gaza without Hamas.

Full Story

President Donald Trump already presented his ideas for a U.S. takeover of Gaza. Now, Egypt’s government is preparing a $20 billion plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip without forcing relocations.

Reuters reported Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is expected to travel to Riyadh Thursday, Feb. 20, where he’ll discuss Arab reconstruction ideas with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

The group will then present the plan at an Arab summit in Cairo next month.

How does the Arab plan counter Trump’s proposal?

Arab regions criticized Trump’s plan to get rid of Palestinians from Gaza and resettle most of them in Jordan and Egypt, calling it forced expulsion.

The Arab proposal, led by Egypt, involves forming a national Palestinian committee to govern Gaza without Hamas and without removing Palestinians.

Egyptian officials said the committee would also not be aligned with the Palestinian authority.

The future military status of Hamas within Gaza is unresolved and would likely be a barrier to Israel endorsing the plan, which, under the proposal, would contribute approximately $20 billion over three years.

How much would it cost to rebuild Gaza?

According to an assessment by the United Nations, the European Union and the World Bank, it would cost more than $50 billion for reconstruction in Gaza. The U.N. estimates around a quarter million housing units in Gaza are destroyed or damaged, along with more than 90% of the roads.

The Israel-Hamas war started in October 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel claiming it was in response to Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel launched attacks in response saying it was necessary for self-defense against Hamas. 

A ceasefire agreement is currently in its first phase, which involves the release of hostages and prisoners.