Egypt finalizes Gaza plan ahead of Arab League summit
Egypt has finalized its Gaza reconstruction plan ahead of the extraordinary Arab League summit, according to Asharq Al-Awsat on March 4th.
The plan for Gaza will counter the US President Donald Trump’s plan to “take over” the Gaza Strip and turn it into a “Riviera of the Middle East” whilst forcibly displacing the Palestinian population into neighbouring countries like Egypt and Jordan.
Egypt’s plan would not involve the forced displacement of Palestinians but retains support for the two-state solution, which much of the international community support, including Spain.
The Arab League summit is expected to come out with one Arab position in opposition to Trump’s plan.
Some details of the plan have emerged, including Egypt’s plan to sideline Hamas and replace it with interim bodies controlled by Arab, Muslim and Western states, although how they plan to sideline such a dominant group remains unanswered.
The deal would also involve the Egyptian government training Palestinian Police forces to be deployed in Gaza as part of the reconstruction plan.
Despite this, many details are left unspecified including who will be footing the bill for the reconstruction of Gaza, how it will be governed in the long-term, or whether the proposal would be implemented before or after any permanent peace deal to end the war.
However, the reconstruction of the decimated enclave by the Arab world, without the displacement of the Palestinian population seems likely to gather the most international support.
The Arab League summit comes at a time where renewed tensions emerge after humanitarian aid trucks on their way to Gaza were turned back to Egypt as Israel has suspended all entry of food, water, and medical supplies into the enclave, as reported by Maghrebi.
The renewed suspension of international aid jeopardizes the already shaky ceasefire between Israel and Hamas whilst also coinciding with the beginning of Ramadan, the Islamic Holy Month being widely celebrated in the Gaza Strip.
Maghrebi, Asharq Al-Awsat
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