Rejecting Arab Plans, White House: President Trump Cares For Gaza's Redevelopment Without Hamas

White House. (Wikimedia Commons/Matt H. Wade)

JAKARTA - The White House opposes Arab plans to manage the Gaza Strip, Palestine after war and remains in line with US President Donald Trump's plans to take over the enclave and relocate the entire population of two million.

In a statement to The Times of Israel, National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said Arab plans released Tuesday "do not address the fact that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and residents cannot live humanely in areas covered in debris and unexploded weapons."

"President Trump sticks to his vision to rebuild Hamas-free Gaza," Hughes said, quoted by The Times of Israel March 5.

"We look forward to further talks to bring peace and prosperity to the region," Hughes continued.

As previously reported, the leader of Arab countries adopted a plan to reconstruct the Gaza Strip, Palestine initiated by Egypt, which would cost US$53 billion, avoiding the relocation of Palestinians from the enclave, contrary to the vision of US President Donald Trump's "Middle East Riviera", at the Arab summit on Tuesday. , quoted from Reuters.

The main question that needs to be answered about Gaza's future is who will run the enclave and which country will provide the billions of dollars needed for reconstruction.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said Egypt had teamed up with Palestine to form an administrative committee consisting of independent and professional Palestinian technocrats entrusted to rule Gaza after the war ended.

The committee will be responsible for overseeing humanitarian aid and management of affairs in the Gaza Strip for the time being, in preparation for the return of the Palestinian Authority (PA), he said.

Any reconstruction funding will require great support from oil-rich Gulf Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which have the billions of dollars needed.

Another important issue is the fate of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the rival of PA. The group ruled Gaza since 2007 saying in a statement that they agreed with the Egyptian committee's proposal.

Hamas has agreed not to nominate a candidate for the Cairo-proposed committee, but should grant its approval of the duties, members and agenda of the committee that will work under PA supervision.

Meanwhile, PA leader and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he welcomed Egypt's ideas and urged President Trump to support plans that would not involve the eviction of Palestinians.

President Abbas further said he was ready to hold presidential and parliamentary elections if circumstances allowed, adding his PA was the only legitimate government and military force in the Palestinian Territory.

The militant group Hamas said they welcomed the election plan.

Egypt's Reconstruction plan for Gaza is a 112-page document that includes maps of how the land will be re-developed and dozens of color images produced by AI from housing, parks and community center construction. The plan includes commercial ports, technology centers, beach hotels and airports.

Israel is unlikely to oppose Arab entities taking over responsibility for the Gaza government if Hamas is not there, said a source familiar with the matter.