Nations endorse $53b alternative to Trump’s proposal on reconstruction

Arab leaders’ endorsement of an alternative to US President Donald Trump’s widely condemned “irrational” proposal should be the way forward for Gaza, and the United States and Israel should follow the Arabs’ lead, according to experts.

Haydar Oruc, a former researcher at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies in Turkiye, noted that Egypt’s “essentially, comprehensive plan” addresses not only Gaza but other Palestinian territories as well.

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 tranquility”.

“In fact, considering the policies that Trump is trying to implement in his (second term), (the Arab plan) 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.

At an emergency summit hosted by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo on March 4, representatives of Arab nations unanimously approved an Egyptian reconstruction plan for Gaza with a price tag of about $53 billion. The plan aims to avoid unnecessarily and illegally depopulating Gaza.

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.

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.

Trump sparked widespread criticism last month after announcing his plan for the US to take over the Gaza Strip and create a “Riviera of the Middle East” after resettling Palestinians elsewhere.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the UN’s readiness to back the Egyptian 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 stated that violence will not be stopped by displacing Palestinians and that reconstruction is possible 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 shows unity among Arab countries as to the way forward.

“Most importantly …it repudiates pretty explicitly the Trump plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza and build waterfront resorts,” said Takahashi, who is also a professor of human rights and peace studies at Osaka Jogakuin University in Japan.

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

“Israel is once again using starvation as a weapon of war by preventing humanitarian aid into Gaza, blatantly violating international law and the orders of the International Court of Justice. Unfortunately, it does not look like Israel’s Western allies, most notably the US, are willing to do the necessary on this,” said Takahashi.

In a statement posted on X, the Israeli foreign ministry said the Arab summit “fails to address the realities of the situation following October 7th, 2023, remaining rooted in outdated perspectives”, and slammed the absence of condemnation on Hamas’ “brutal terrorist attack, which resulted in thousands of Israeli deaths and hundreds of kidnappings”, and the threat Hamas poses to Israel and the region.

The White House said it welcomed “input” from the Arab nations on Trump’s proposal but emphasized that Hamas could not remain in power.

Oruc, the former researcher, said, “It is essential that there is an absolute authority to ensure the strict implementation of the (Egyptian) plan, to prevent violations by the parties and to impose sanctions in case of any withdrawal. Without such a power or mechanism, it would be unrealistic to expect this or any similar agreement to be concluded successfully.”

Israel’s 15-month offensive killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Agencies and Xinhua contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at cuihaipei@chinadaily.com.cn