Arab leaders have endorsed Egypt’s postwar plan for the Gaza Strip, which would allow its roughly two million Palestinian residents to remain, in a direct counterproposal to U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to depopulate the territory and redevelop it as a beach destination.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi announced the endorsement following a high-level summit in Cairo on Tuesday. It signals a widespread rejection of Trump’s proposal.
However, whether Israel or the United States will accept the Egyptian plan remains unclear. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment.
According to CNN, the summit included key regional figures such as the emir of Qatar, the vice president of the United Arab Emirates, and the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, alongside UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Their support is seen as crucial for any postwar arrangement in Gaza.
El-Sissi, addressing the gathering, stated that the plan “preserves the right of Palestinian people in rebuilding their nation and guarantees their existence on their land.”
Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the summit’s final communique calls on the UN Security Council to deploy an international peacekeeping force in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
“Peace is the Arabs’ strategic option,” he told a news conference, noting that the communique rejected the transfer of Palestinians and endorsed Egypt’s reconstruction plan. “The Egyptian plan creates a path for a new security and political context in Gaza,” he added.
Meanwhile, Israel has backed what it describes as an alternative U.S. proposal focused on securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages taken in Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which triggered the war.
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To pressure Hamas into accepting the proposal, Israel has blocked food, fuel, medicine, and other supplies from entering Gaza, warning of further consequences if the group does not comply. This blockade has drawn international criticism, with human rights groups arguing it violates Israel’s obligations as an occupying power under international law.
The new plan reportedly requires Hamas to release half of its remaining hostages, the group’s key bargaining chip in exchange for an extension of the ceasefire and a commitment to negotiating a lasting truce.
However, Israel has not indicated a willingness to release additional Palestinian prisoners, a key element of previous negotiations.
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