Arab Summit Adopts Gaza Strip Reconstruction Plan Proposed By Egypt

Arab summit on Palestine. (Twitter/@eucopresident)

JAKARTA - The leader of Arab countries adopted a plan to reconstruct the Gaza Strip, Palestine initiated by Egypt, which will cost US$53 billion, avoiding the relocation of Palestinians from the enclave, contrary to the vision of United States President Donald Trump's "Middle East Riviera", at the Arab summit on Tuesday.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said the proposal, which was welcomed in a subsequent statement by Hamas and criticized by Israel, had been received at the close of the summit in Cairo.

At the summit, President Sisi said he believed President Trump would be able to achieve peace in the conflict that has destroyed the Gaza Strip.

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.

Presiedn 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.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa said reconstruction funds would seek international financing as well as surveillance and would most likely be placed in the World Bank.

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.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said late Tuesday that the names of individuals participating in the committee had been decided.

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.

The UAE, which sees Hamas and other militant groups as an existential threat, wants direct and thorough weapons stripping of the group, while other Arab countries advocate a gradual approach, said a source close to the matter.

A source close to the palace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said Hamas' continued armed presence in Gaza was a stumbling block due to strong opposition from the United States and Israel, which must approve any plans.

In a speech at the summit, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said international guarantees were needed to keep the current ceasefire in effect, and support PA's role in regulating the route.

UAE and Qatar leaders did not speak during the summit's open session.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri on Tuesday rejected Israeli and US calls for the group to lay off arms, saying its group's right to fight was non-negotiable.

Abu Zuhri told Reuters the group would not accept any attempt to impose a project, or any form of non-Palestinian rule, or the presence of foreign troops.

Egypt's Reconstruction Plan for Gaza is a 112-page document that includes a map 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.

However, an Israeli official told Reuters Israel's war from the start was to destroy the military's capabilities and the Hamas government.

"Therefore, if they want Hamas to agree to carry out demilitarization, it must be done immediately. Nothing else is acceptable," the official said.

Separately in Washington, the White House's National Security Council did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the results of the Arab summit.