Egyptian-created Gaza reconstruction proposal ready for summit
Egypt has developed a reconstruction plan for Gaza, which it intends to present at an upcoming Arab summit. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stated that this plan serves as a counterproposal to a U.S. initiative suggesting the relocation of Palestinians to neighboring Arab countries, a move criticized as possibly constituting ethnic cleansing.
Following a six-week ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which recently concluded its first phase, discussions for a second phase are essential to maintaining peace. During the initial phase, Hamas released 33 hostages, while Israel freed over 1,700 Palestinian prisoners and withdrew from certain areas in Gaza. However, Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, and their fate remains uncertain.
Abdelatty mentioned that Egypt would engage with major donor countries once the reconstruction plan is approved. However, disagreements loom on the governance of Gaza, as Israel wants to prevent Hamas from participating in its administration, while Hamas seeks to maintain power. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed that Israel will not agree to a ceasefire without the hostages’ release and may restrict humanitarian aid to Gaza, drawing criticism from Egypt and Qatar over potential violations of humanitarian law.
Egyptian-created Gaza reconstruction proposal ready for Arab summit
Egypt has prepared a plan for the reconstruction of Gaza that it will present on Tuesday at a summit of Arab leaders, according to Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
The plan amounts to a counterproposal to a scenario outlined by the United States, in which Palestinians would be relocated into surrounding Arab nations while the U.S. led a reconstruction effort. Opponents of the U.S. plan, which President Donald Trump dubbed the “Riviera on the Middle East,” alleged the forced displacement of the Palestinians in Gaza could amount to ethnic cleansing.
Israel and Hamas agreed to a six-week ceasefire in January and the first phase of it was set to expire over the weekend.
“The first phase has concluded successfully, and now we must shift to discussions on the second phase, which is key to sustaining the ceasefire,” Abdelatty said in a press conference with European Union Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica. “Naturally, it will be difficult, but with goodwill and political determination, it can be achieved.”
During the first phase, Hamas released 33 hostages, two of whom the group held for a decade, while Israel released more than 1,700 Palestinian prisoners detained or arrested in Israel. Israeli forces also withdrew from population centers in Gaza.
Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, and Israeli officials believe at a maximum, 24 of them are still alive.
“We will hold intensive talks with major donor countries once the plan is adopted at the upcoming Arab summit,” he added.
It’s unclear where the two sides go from here because they disagree on the second phase. Israel wants to ensure that Hamas is not a part of the governing entity of Gaza, while the group wants to remain in power and end the war permanently to ensure its survival.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Sunday that Israel backs a U.S. proposal to temporarily extend the current phase of the ceasefire during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover. Israel also said Hamas had rejected such a proposal.
ISRAEL CUTS OFF GAZA AID TO PRESSURE HAMAS TO ACCEPT NEW CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL
“Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu’s office said. “If Hamas continues its refusal, there will be further consequences.”
His office threatened to stop allowing humanitarian aid from getting into the Gaza Strip over the negotiations, which garnered criticism from Egypt and Qatar, both of which have been acting as mediators along with the U.S. They accused Israel of violating humanitarian law by threatening to use starvation as a weapon.
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