Arab leaders gathered in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss a plan for the future of Gaza. The proposal, spearheaded by Egypt, envisions a future in the enclave that would cost some $53 billion.
The plan is partly in response to US President Donald Trump’s proposal to re-settle many Gazans. The Arab states’ idea, in most contexts, would represent an extraordinary initiative by these countries. However, in the current context, it appears the proposal may be dead on arrival, which is unfortunate because it could serve as a foundation for something better.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi welcomed the plan, which would take the pressure off of Egypt to take in Gazans. Israeli leaders have paid lip service to the Trump proposal, which would likely result in some Gazans moving to Egypt. Cairo doesn’t want these individuals because it worries the move could destabilize the Egyptian government.
However, despite the decision by so many Arab countries to try to put forward something constructive, the US and Israel don’t see the plan as relevant.
“The current proposal does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance,” US National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said after the plan was released. “President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas. We look forward to further talks to bring peace and prosperity to the region,” he added.
PA versus Hamas
Hamas, for its part, also doesn’t seem to want the plan to come to fruition. Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that the group would not give up its arms. “The weapon of the resistance is a red line, and it is not negotiable,” he said. “We will not accept [any deal] to trade it for reconstruction or the entry of aid.”
In contrast, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas appeared to accept it, saying elections could be held if the proposal moves forward. That would mean the PA would have to have an effective role in Gaza to organize the elections.
Abbas has remained in power for two decades and seems to refuse to budge from office because if he does forfeit, it is likely Hamas would try to replace him with a candidate it backs, while the PA would prefer to return its Fatah-led government to the enclave.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the idea of the PA running Gaza; officially, Israel doesn’t want the PA nor Hamas running things in the enclave.
“The statement [regarding the Egyptian plan] continues to rely on the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA – both have repeatedly demonstrated corruption, support for terrorism, and failure in resolving the issue,” the Foreign Ministry said.
According to CNN, the Egyptian proposal is ambitious and envisions the development of “shopping malls, an international convention center, and even an airport within five years. It also aims to attract tourists by building resorts and enhancing the enclave’s Mediterranean coast.” One could argue that the Egyptian plan thus includes some of Trump’s concepts of turning Gaza into a Mediterranean Riviera.
However, Cairo would never want Gazans to be displaced; the unified stance of the Arab states now makes this clear, and they believe there is strength in their unity. They don’t want to pick a fight with the Trump administration, and this is even more true after seeing how it has turned on Ukraine. Egypt, which receives US aid, would never want to get a similar dressing down.
The question regarding the Egyptian plan is whether it will now be rejected while serving as a starting point for more discussions or whether it will fade from living memory. The Arab states have come together in the past with proposals that did not pan out, like in 2002 in Beirut, when a total of 22 Arab states gathered to back the Arab Peace Initiative during the Second Intifada.
Time will tell whether the new plan will turn out like the last attempt.