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Arab leaders have wrapped up a regional summit where they have agreed on a $53 billion reconstruction plan for Gaza and rejected a US-backed proposal to take over the wartorn area.
Some shit you should know before you read: Roughly three weeks ago, President Donald Trump proposed a plan to depopulate the Gaza Strip and redevelop it into a luxury destination under US control. His proposal suggested relocating Gaza’s more than 2 million Palestinian residents to neighboring countries such as Egypt and Jordan, an idea both nations have rejected. Trump framed the plan as an opportunity to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas, but critics—including Arab leaders, human rights organizations, and the United Nations—denounced it as a form of ethnic cleansing that would violate international law. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the proposal, arguing that it would provide Gazans with “free choice” regarding their future.
What’s going on now: Following a summit among Arab League leaders in Cairo, regional countries endorsed a $53 billion reconstruction plan for Gaza, presenting it as an alternative to President Donald Trump’s proposal to depopulate the area. The plan, spearheaded by Egypt, envisions a three-phase rebuilding process spanning approximately five years, ensuring that Gaza’s Palestinian population remains in place while infrastructure and governance are restored.
The first phase, lasting six months to a year, would focus on removing debris, clearing roads, and constructing 200,000 temporary housing units to shelter displaced Palestinians. The second and third phases, expected to take up to four more years, would include building permanent homes, restoring utilities, developing industrial zones, and reopening Gaza’s seaport and airport. The proposal also calls for an interim technocratic government to manage the reconstruction, with the Palestinian Authority (PA) eventually assuming control, though both Israel and Hamas oppose the PA’s return.
To maintain security, Egypt and Jordan pledged to train Palestinian forces, and Arab leaders urged the United Nations to deploy an international peacekeeping mission in Gaza and the West Bank.
This all comes as the United States and Israel have both rejected the Egyptian-backed plan, arguing that it fails to address security concerns and does not remove Hamas from power. A White House National Security Council spokesman dismissed the proposal as “unworkable,” insisting that Gaza is currently “uninhabitable” and that President Trump stands by his vision of a Hamas-free Gaza.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the plan was “rooted in outdated perspectives” and argued that it ignores Hamas’ role in the October 7th attack that triggered the war. Israeli officials instead backed Trump’s proposal, insisting that relocating Gaza’s population elsewhere is the only viable long-term solution.
Egyptian officials condemned Israel’s stance as “extremist and unacceptable,” arguing that peace cannot be achieved without the establishment of a Palestinian state.
