President Donald Trump’s administration has rejected an Arab proposal to rebuild Gaza. The $53 billion plan, presented by Egypt at the Arab League Summit in Cairo on Tuesday, seeks to counter President Trump’s proposal to rebuild Gaza and resettle its residents in neighboring Arab countries.
The multi-billion Arab plan wants the corrupt and terrorist-ridden Palestinian Authority (PA) to oversee the reconstruction efforts. The Egyptian plan, which will keep Hamas’ presence in post-reconstruction Gaza, has been backed by the Islamic terrorist group.
“President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas,” the U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes told The Times of Israel.
The Egyptian plan “does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance,” Hughes pointed out.
CNN reported the Trump administration’s response:
The Trump administration has rejected a long-awaited plan for the reconstruction of Gaza endorsed by Arab leaders, saying the president stands by his own vision which includes expelling the territory’s Palestinian residents and transforming it into a “riviera” owned by the United States.“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,” National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement Tuesday night.“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.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has also dismissed the proposal, which fails to address the challenges resulting from the 15-month-long war inflicted by Hamas on Gaza, the BBC reports:
However, Israel’s foreign ministry swiftly rejected the Arab League’s statement endorsing the Egyptian plan, saying it “fails to address the realities of the situation following 7 October 2023, remaining rooted in outdated perspectives”.”Now, with President Trump’s idea, there is an opportunity for the Gazans to have free choice based on their free will. This should be encouraged!” it added.”Instead, Arab states have rejected this opportunity, without giving it a fair chance, and continue to level baseless accusations against Israel.”
Under the Trump plan, the U.S. would undertake the task of transforming Gaza by dismantling the explosives and terrorist infrastructure scattered across the Palestinian enclave. The transformation of Gaza into a tourist and commercial hub will be funded by foreign investments and no U.S. troops will be required to secure the reconstruction effort, President Trump assured.
The displacement of Gaza residents doesn’t have to be permanent either. Prime Minister Netanyahu, who backs the Trump plan, said that the relocation will be temporary, and Gazans should be allowed to return if they “disavow terrorism.”
It’s not too much to ask after the horrific attacks on October 7, 2023, which saw 5,000 terrorists from Gaza invade southern Israel, murdering 1,139 Israeli men, women and children, and taking 251 hostages — including toddlers and elderly. On October 7, 2023, vast crowds of Gazans turned up to triumphantly cheers the returning murderers, rapists and hostage-takers.
The Arab proposal, deliberately devised to counter President Trump’s Gaza plan, was ‘welcomed’ by the terrorist group Hamas, which saw the planned reconstruction as an opportunity to bolster its position in the enclave after 16 months of fighting, media reports indicate.
“Arab leaders have endorsed a $53bn (£42bn) plan to rebuild Gaza under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority (PA), in a rushed attempt to present an alternative to Donald Trump’s idea for a property development-style plan,” the UK newspaper Guardian reported.
“Hamas, however, called for provision of the means to ensure the plan’s success and considered the summit a “step forward” for Arab and Islamic support behind the Palestinian cause,” the British daily added.
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