Arab Leaders Adopt Gaza Reconstruction Plan in Egypt Summit

By Staff, Agencies

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

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

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.

In a parallel context, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed strong support for the Egyptian-led initiative.

“I welcome and strongly endorse the Arab-led initiative to mobilize support for Gaza's reconstruction, clearly expressed in this summit,” Guterres said, adding, “The UN stands ready to fully cooperate in this endeavor."

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

For his part, 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.

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

“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.

Additionally, 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.