Arab League endorses Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan at Cairo summit

The Arab League has endorsed an Egyptian plan for the reconstruction of Gaza that ensures the non-displacement of its Palestinian inhabitants.

The plan is presented as an alternative to US President Donald Trump’s widely criticized proposal to assume control of the war-torn Palestinian territory.

The plan was discussed during an extraordinary Arab League summit in Cairo on Tuesday, attended by several Arab heads of state, foreign ministers, and other high-level representatives.

In his opening remarks, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said the plan would ensure Gazans “remain on their land.”

Sisi proposed forming an administrative committee of independent Palestinian professionals to temporarily oversee Gaza's affairs, paving the way for the return of the Palestinian Authority.

The Egyptian plan outlines a five-year roadmap with an estimated cost of $53 billion, roughly matching the United Nations' assessment of Gaza's reconstruction needs.

A proposed early recovery phase, expected to last six months and cost $3 billion, would focus on clearing unexploded ordnance and debris, and providing temporary housing.

That would be followed by a $20-billion initial reconstruction stage running until 2027 and focusing on rebuilding essential infrastructure and permanent housing.

The next stage of reconstruction, extending to 2030 at an estimated cost of $30 billion, aims to build more housing, infrastructure, and industrial and commercial facilities.

The plan also proposes establishing an internationally supervised trust fund to ensure efficient and sustainable financing with transparency and oversight mechanisms.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed strong support for the Egyptian-led initiative.

“I welcome and strongly endorse the Arab-led initiative to mobilise support for Gaza's reconstruction, clearly expressed in this summit,” Guterres said.

“The UN stands ready to fully cooperate in this endeavor,” he added. 

Guterres emphasized the need for a clear political framework to underpin Gaza’s recovery, reconstruction, and long-term stability.

He said Gaza “must remain an integral part of an independent, democratic and sovereign Palestinian state, with no reduction in its territory or forced transfer of its population.”

Guterres also called for the resumption of "serious" ceasefire negotiations, the release of captives and detainees, and the removal of obstacles hindering lifesaving aid delivery into Gaza.

“Humanitarian aid is not negotiable, it must flow without impediment,” Guterres said.

He addressed concerns about escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli raids over the past weeks have generated significant displacement and destruction.

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“Over 40,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the last months, the largest displacement in the West Bank in decades,” Guterres said.

He condemned demolitions, evictions, settlement expansion, and settler violence while calling for urgent de-escalation.

“The attacks and mounting violence must end. Israel as the occupying power must comply with all its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and the Palestinian Authority must be supported to govern effectively and to do so in compliance with its own obligations under international law.”

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas firmly rejected any proposals involving population transfer from Gaza.

“We thank all Arab and European states who have taken the initiative and were quick to reject this irresponsible and inhumane call,” he said.

“We also reiterate our rejection of the Israeli practices to mandate a reality of occupation in the West Bank and Jerusalem with the purpose of undermining the two-state solution and the Palestinian cause.”

He also denounced Israeli actions aimed at undermining a two-state solution through occupation practices in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Abbas commended the Arab-Egyptian reconstruction plan for keeping Palestinians in their homeland.

“We call on Trump to support the efforts of reconstruction on these bases, rather than any other basis.”

Abbas also expressed readiness to hold presidential and parliamentary elections if conditions permit.

Jordan's King Abdullah II and Iraq's President Abdul Latif Rashid joined other leaders in endorsing the Egyptian plan during their addresses at the summit.

Trump triggered global outrage when he first floated his idea for the United States to "take over" the Gaza Strip and turn it into the “Riviera” of West Asia, while forcing its Palestinian inhabitants to relocate to Egypt or Jordan.

Palestinians, Arab states and many European governments have rejected Trump's proposal, opposing any efforts to expel Gazans.

Trump has recently appeared to soften his stance, saying he was "not forcing" the plan, which experts have said could violate international law.

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