Arab states endorse $53 billion plan to rebuild Gaza Strip
During the summit in Cairo, Arab states accepted the Egyptian plan to reconstruct the Gaza Strip. The project is expected to cost 53 billion USD and take five years to complete.
According to Reuters, which obtained a draft of the final communiqué of the meeting, the Egyptian plan outlines a six-month preparatory phase. In this initial stage, the Gaza Strip will be cleared of debris, and temporary shelter will be provided for the residents. Afterwards, the first reconstruction phase will begin in two years, followed by a second phase lasting two and a half years. In each of these phases, 200,000 housing units will be built. The first phase costs 20 billion USD, while the second phase will require 30 billion USD.
The plan does not specify who will fund the reconstruction. Arab states will appeal to the international community for financial support. Arab leaders will also call for elections in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, where the last polls took place nearly twenty years ago.
Governance issue in the Gaza Strip
The communiqué did not resolve who will govern the Gaza Strip after the war. It only mentioned "support for the Palestinian decision to create a committee to administer the Gaza Strip". Hamas and the Palestinian Authority plan to establish a technical committee composed of Palestinians not affiliated with any faction.
Israel does not agree to governance by either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip. Egypt also aims to remove Hamas from power, proposing an administration controlled by Arab and Western countries. Israel might accept the takeover of responsibility by Arab countries if it would mean the end of Hamas governance.
Reaction to U.S. plans
The meeting of Arab state leaders aimed to oppose the plans of U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the Gaza Strip. Trump proposed U.S. control over the territory, the resettlement of Palestinians to Arab countries, and transforming the Gaza Strip into the "Middle East Riviera". Arab states unanimously criticized this vision.
The Gaza Strip has been devastated by more than a 15-month war between Israel and Hamas, in which over 48,000 Palestinians died. The conflict began after a Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 casualties. Since January 19, a temporary ceasefire has been in effect, but its extension is uncertain.
