Arab States Allocate $53 Billion for Gaza Reconstruction Plan, Form Independent Palestinian Committee Without Displacing Palestinians
Cairo, March 4 — Arab leaders have adopted an Egyptian reconstruction plan for Gaza, proposing a $53 billion initiative, which will help rebuild Gaza without displacing Palestinians, in contrast to U.S. President Trump's "Middle East Riviera" vision.
The White House stated that the plan adopted by Arab states did not address Gaza’s reality, and Trump has stood by his proposal. Last month, Trump’s plan, which involved the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, faced global condemnation and revived long-standing Palestinian fears of being permanently driven from their homes.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced at the closing of an emergency Arab summit in Cairo that Egypt's proposal had been accepted. The plan was supported by Hamas but criticized by Israel and the U.S. Sisi emphasized that the major questions regarding Gaza's future are who will govern the territory and how the $53 billion required for reconstruction will be sourced.
Sisi further explained that Egypt had worked in cooperation with the Palestinians to establish an administrative committee composed of independent, professional Palestinian technocrats, who will temporarily oversee Gaza's governance after the end of the conflict. This committee will be responsible for managing humanitarian aid and Gaza's affairs, preparing for the eventual return of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Another crucial issue is the future of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is a rival of the PA. On October 7, 2023, Hamas carried out an attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages, according to Israeli statistics.
