Pressured by Trump’s Gaza plan, Arab countries meet in Egypt to discuss alternative proposal

Arab leaders convened successful Cairo connected Tuesday for an emergency summit aimed astatine presenting a counterproposal to President Donald Trump's Gaza plan. The acme was held to sermon Egypt’s $53 cardinal broad reconstruction blueprint for Gaza.

Before Trump projected resettling Gazans extracurricular the enclave, Egypt and different Arab states had shown small involvement successful Gaza's reconstruction. However, fixed that Egypt has ruled out accepting displaced Palestinians for "national security" reasons, it present finds itself compelled to devise its ain plan.

With a $53 cardinal terms tag, the program is positioned arsenic an alternate to Trump’s vision, and cardinal details person already been shared by Arab media outlets. While Egypt proposes a impermanent committee to negociate Gaza for six months, Palestinians person made it wide that they volition not judge immoderate governing assemblage that isn't Palestinian oregon immoderate overseas forces wrong Gaza. The program is projected to instrumentality astatine slightest 4 and a fractional years. 

'LEVEL IT': TRUMP SAYS US WILL 'TAKE OVER' GAZA STRIP, REBUILD IT TO STABILIZE MIDDLE EAST

People ticker connected a large surface arsenic Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, right, welcomes Jordan's King Abdullah II up of an Arab League acme connected Gaza connected March 4, 2025. (Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images)

The Egyptian program is divided into 2 phases: the first, lasting 2 years and costing astir $20 billion, and the second, spanning 2 and a fractional years with a $30 cardinal allocation. The funds volition chiefly spell toward rebuilding residential areas devastated by conflict. 

Importantly, the program does not telephone for the displacement of Gaza's residents, arsenic Trump’s connection does, and stresses the value of Palestinian-led reconstruction efforts, and that the Palestinian Authority volition collaborate with Egypt and Jordan to bid a constabulary unit for Gaza. But Hamas has already rejected the plan, and the Palestinian Authority has made it wide that it volition not prosecute successful reconstruction efforts arsenic agelong arsenic Hamas maintains control.

"The Saudis volition money Gaza if there’s a way to a Palestinian authorities and Hamas is gone," Ghaith Al-Omari, elder chap astatine the Washington Institute and erstwhile enforcement manager of the American Task Force connected Palestine told Fox News Digital, "Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar privation thing from the Israelis successful return, whether it's an extremity to the warfare oregon information agreements. They’ll importune connected a relation for the Palestinian Authority, adjacent if symbolic, for diplomatic reasons. The question is whether the existent Israeli government tin conscionable these demands."

THE HISTORY OF GAZA AMID TRUMP'S PLAN TO REBUILD ENCLAVE

A presumption of the wide demolition successful Gaza, Jabalia, connected Feb. 5, 2025. (Youssef Alzanoun/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

"A militarized Hamas cannot stay successful Gaza – the portion indispensable beryllium demilitarized, and Hamas indispensable nary longer beryllium successful control. The Emiratis are adjacent much utmost connected this issue," Danny Zaken, a elder commentator for Israel Hayom newspaper, told Fox News Digital, "The last draught of the Egyptian program volition debar straight addressing Hamas. Instead of stating that Hamas volition beryllium removed and disarmed, it volition accidental that ‘qualified Palestinian information forces volition support bid with Egyptian backing.’ This attack aims for unanimous support without addressing Hamas’ fate, but the world is that it has nary applicable validity, due to the fact that successful that lawsuit the program has nary fiscal backing," helium explained.

Al-Omari observed, "Arab League summits thin to beryllium a batch of posturing. Who’s going to instrumentality attraction of security? The PA can’t grip that – they’re excessively weak. No Arab state wants to nonstop troops to Gaza, but they’re besides nether unit from the U.S. to contribute."

An Egyptian diplomatic root told Fox News Digital that Egyptian operation firms are acceptable to statesman work, but the existent situation is political. "Egyptian operation companies are precise capable, and they tin rebuild Gaza successful 3 years – if determination is governmental will, chiefly from Israel and the U.S.," the root said.

King Abdullah II of Jordan and President Donald Trump during a gathering successful the Oval Office of the White House connected Feb. 11, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

While Egypt is anxious to pb the reconstruction process, its ambitions person created friction with cardinal Gulf states, which are expected to concern overmuch of the effort. Zaken, noted, "The Saudis are acrophobic due to the fact that the Egyptians privation to power the full process: Who gets the money, who oversees the reconstruction, who the contractors are for demolition and rebuilding? And adjacent caller lodging and hotels. The different partners interest astir corruption successful the process."

A erstwhile U.S. overseas work authoritative warned Fox News Digital that Egypt’s quality to negociate specified funds is simply a concern. "The Gulf, which is expected to wage for it, is sick and bushed of Egyptian corruption. If they money the reconstruction, they volition request large oversight to guarantee the wealth doesn’t get mislaid successful Egypt’s powerfulness structure," the root said.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HOSTAGES AND CEASE-FIRE DEAL BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS SET TO BEGIN SUNDAY

Members of the Hamas panic radical stitchery successful Gaza successful mentation for the merchandise of 4 pistillate hostages arsenic portion of the ceasefire woody with Israel. (TPS-IL)

Meanwhile, Jordan, which has played a cardinal diplomatic role, has managed to debar nonstop engagement successful the reconstruction debate. Following King Abdullah’s gathering with Trump, Jordanian officials felt that the unit had shifted to Egypt and different Arab states. "The Jordanians were precise blessed with the result of the gathering with Trump. They consciousness that the unit to judge [a] cardinal Gazans is disconnected them," Al-Omari said.

At the aforesaid time, the broader governmental aboriginal of Gaza remains uncertain. Al-Omari noted that contempt the ongoing reconstruction discussions, the superior interest for Arab leaders is however to navigate Trump’s unpredictable stance connected Gaza. "Frankly, the main reasoning successful Arab governments close present is however to prosecute successful a covert process with Trump to locomotion him backmost from this. No 1 expects contiguous results, but they bash anticipation that this volition determination Trump distant from the thought of depopulating Gaza," helium said.

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For now, each eyes are connected the summit. However, arsenic 1 erstwhile diplomatic root enactment it, "There’s nary existent program yet – conscionable ideas. Everyone is trying to signifier it successful their favor, but until Hamas’ destiny is resolved, we’re each conscionable talking successful circles."