DUBAI: An Arab summit draft communique on Tuesday adopted an Egyptian plan for Gaza's future and called on the international community and financial institutions to provide support for the plan quickly.
Organized by Egypt, the summit aims to respond to US President Donald Trump’s proposals to take control of Gaza and resettle Palestinians, as well as to address the Israeli Prime Minister’s stance on ending the ceasefire and resuming hostilities in Gaza.
The summit set to take place this evening will focus on creating a unified Arab response that protects Palestinian rights and makes Gaza habitable again.
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah will head the Kingdom's delegation participating in the Arab Summit.
Egypt has yet to release the full proposal but some details have emerged Tuesday ahead of the summit.
The Arab counterproposal consists of three phases to be implemented over five years to fully rebuild Gaza.
The first phase, which will take two years, will cost $20 billion. This phase includes the building of 200,000 housing units in the strip.
The plan also states that early recovery will take six months, and will consist of removing ruble and installing temporary housing.
The second phase, which should take two and a half years, will include the building of another 200,000 housing units and an airport in Gaza.
The overall building process shall take five years, and the total cost of reconstruction is estimated at $53 billion.
Under the Egyptian plan, a Governance Assistance Mission would replace the Hamas-run government in Gaza for an unspecified interim period and would be responsible for humanitarian aid and for kick-starting reconstruction of the enclave, which has been devastated by the war.
Egypt and Jordan will train Palestinian police personnel in preparation for deployment in the strip.
The plan will also demand that Israel stops all settlement activities, annexation of lands and demolition of Palestinian homes.
It will also address the issue of factional weapons through a clear framework and credible political process.
Experts have raised concerns over the plan’s financing, with the UN estimating the cost of rebuilding Gaza at over $50 billion.
But a draft communique read on television said the participatants will call for holding an international conference for the reconstruction of Gaza, to be held in Cairo later this month.
The summit will propose a plan that aims to counter US President Trump’s statement last month, in which he proposed taking control of Gaza and resettling Palestinians in Egypt and Jordan.
