ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week welcomed the Arab League’s approval of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s plan for reconstructing Gaza, urging the United Nations to ensure implementation of its resolutions calling for a two-state solution in the Middle East. 

The Arab League held its summit in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss a counterproposal to US President Donald Trump’s plan to expel Gaza’s over 2.3 million residents and redevelop the Palestinian territory into an international beach resort. 

Egypt’s plan, proposed by El-Sisi, includes an initial recovery phase aimed at de-mining Gaza and providing temporary housing. It would then be followed by a longer reconstruction phase focused on rebuilding essential infrastructure. The total cost of reconstruction has been estimated at $53 billion. 

“I welcome Arab League’s approval of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s plan for Gaza’s reconstruction and the League’s firm rejection of any plan to displace the Palestinians from their homeland,” Sharif wrote on social media platform X on Wednesday. 

The Pakistani premier reiterated Pakistan’s call for the UN to ensure implementation of its resolutions affirming the two-state solution in the Middle East with an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al- Sharif as its capital.

Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, has increasingly called for the Jewish state to be held accountable for crimes against humanity during its 15-month war on Gaza. 

The war began after Hamas launched a surprise offensive in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Around 1,200 Israelis were killed in the attack and 251 were taken as hostages. Israel launched a military offensive against Hamas, killing over 48,000 Palestinians before a shaky truce in January halted the fighting. 

Fears of the war beginning again were renewed last week after Israel blocked the entry of aid trucks into Gaza on Sunday over a standoff over the truce. 

The blockade is likely to add significant pressure on the two million Palestinians who are still suffering from shortages of essential goods following the war.

Israel, while announcing the halt to aid entry, said it would not allow a ceasefire without the release of all remaining hostages. Hamas has denounced Israel’s move as “blackmail” and a “blatant coup against the agreement.”