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Gaza: Arab leaders set to back alternative to Trump's plan Gaza: Arab leaders approve $53bn alternative to Trump's reconstruction plan
(about 7 hours later)
The UN says more than 90% of homes in Gaza are destroyed or damagedThe UN says more than 90% of homes in Gaza are destroyed or damaged
A reconstruction plan to rival President Donald Trump's idea for the US to "take over Gaza" and move out more than two million Palestinians is expected to be approved at an emergency summit in the Egyptian capital Cairo. A $53bn (£41.4 billion) reconstruction plan to rival President Donald Trump's idea for the US to "take over Gaza" and move out more than two million Palestinians has been approved by Arab leaders at an emergency summit in the Egyptian capital Cairo.
Egypt has produced another plan with a glossy brochure, 91 pages long and complete with some gleaming Emirati influenced designs, to counter the US scheme which shocked the Arab world and beyond. "The Egypt plan is now an Arab plan," announced the secretary general of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit at the end of this hours-long gathering.
Will a "Dubai on the Mediterranean" rise one day from the rubble of Gaza instead of the US's "Riviera of the Middle East"? Without referring specifically to President Trump's ideas, he underlined that "the Arab stance is to reject any displacement, whether it is voluntary or forced".
What sets Cairo's plan apart is that this blueprint is not just about property development; its banners are politics and the rights of Palestinians. Egypt had produced a detailed blueprint, with a 91-page glossy document including images of leafy neighbourhoods and grand public buildings, to counter a US scheme labelled as a "Middle East Riviera" which shocked the Arab world and beyond.
A leak of the draft statement obtained by the BBC underlines it is owned by Arab states and the Palestinians. What sets this new plan apart is it is not just about property development; its banners are politics and the rights of Palestinians.
It will be "presented by Egypt, in full co-ordination with Palestine and Arab countries, based on studies conducted by the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme regarding early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza as a comprehensive Arab plan". In his opening remarks, Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi also called for a parallel plan alongside the physical reconstruction to move towards what is known as the two state solution – a Palestinian state alongside Israel. This is widely seen by Arab states, and many others, as the only lasting solution to this perpetual conflict, but it is firmly ruled out by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies.
Most critically, it allows more than two million residents of Gaza to hold on to what is left of their lives, including their right to remain on land which generations of their families have called home. This new plan proposes that Gaza would be run, temporarily, by a "Gaza management committee under the umbrella of the Palestinian government" comprised of qualified technocrats.
President Trump continues to wonder aloud: "Why wouldn't they want to move?" His description of Gaza as a "demolition site" underlines how, after almost 16 months of grievous war, the territory lies in utter ruin. It glosses over the issue of what role, if any, Hamas, will play. There is a vague reference to the "obstacle" of militant groups and said this issue would be resolved if the causes of the conflict with Israel were removed.
The UN says 90% of homes are damaged or destroyed. All the basics of a life worth living, from schools and hospitals to sewage systems and electricity lines, are shredded. Some Arab states are known to be calling for the complete dismantling of Hamas; others believe those decisions should be left up to the Palestinians. Hamas is said to have accepted it will not play a role in running Gaza but has made it clear that disarming is a red line.
The leaked draft document does not explicitly refer to President Trump's plan to "take over" the territory and move the Palestinians out, mainly to neighbouring countries. But it makes clear that moves like that will only trigger more disasters. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has described President Trump's plan as "visionary", has repeatedly ruled out any future role for Hamas, but also for the Palestinian Authority.
"Any malicious attempts to displace Palestinians or annex any part of occupied Palestinian territories would lead to new phases of conflict, undermine stability opportunities, expand conflict into other countries in the region, and pose a clear threat to peace foundations in the Middle East," it warns.
Egypt's plan for Gaza's reconstruction is presented in a 91-page brochureEgypt's plan for Gaza's reconstruction is presented in a 91-page brochure
Ever since the US president suddenly spoke of his plan, there has been huge pressure on Arab states not just to come up with an alternative plan but to prove it can work. The other sensitive issue of security was dealt with by calling on the UN Security Council to deploy international peacekeepers.
Property developers know presentation matters. And a major international conference will be held next month to raise the huge sums of money necessary for this rebuilding project.
President Trump deepened the shock and anger around his ideas when he posted an AI-generated video of a golden Gaza on his Truth Social account last week. Wealthy Gulf states appear willing to foot some of the colossal bill. But no one is ready to invest unless they are absolutely convinced buildings won't come crashing down in another war.
It featured a shimmering statue of himself, his close ally Elon Musk enjoying snacks on the beach, and he and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sunning themselves, shirtless. All to a catchy tune with lines like "Trump Gaza is finally here".
"They had President Trump in mind," remarked one Western diplomat who attended a briefing about Egypt's plan at the foreign ministry in Cairo. "It's very glossy and very well-prepared."
Cairo's reconstruction plans, which the BBC has obtained, with their alluring images of leafy neighbourhoods and grand columned buildings, is said to have drawn on a wide range of expertise, from World Bank professionals on sustainability, to Dubai developers on hotels.
There are also lessons learned from other ravaged cities which rose from the ruins including Hiroshima, Beirut, and Berlin.
And the proposed designs are also influenced by Egypt's own experience in developing its "New Cairo" - its grand megaproject which has seen a new administrative capital rising from the desert - at great expense.
Watch: Drone footage shows devastation in northern Gaza (29 January)
Who will pay for Gaza's build is a major issue. Egypt is proposing that an international conference be convened as soon as possible for the "recovery and reconstruction".
Wealthy Gulf states appear willing to foot some of the colossal bill the UN estimates will be around $50bn (£39bn).
But no-one is ready to invest unless they are absolutely convinced buildings will not come crashing down in another war.
A fragile ceasefire which now seems to be on the brink of collapse will only amplify that hesitation.A fragile ceasefire which now seems to be on the brink of collapse will only amplify that hesitation.
"We will hold intensive talks with major donor countries once the plan is adopted," Egypt's Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, said on Sunday, underlining a hope that capitals the world over will help come up with the cash. This new Arab plan to rebuild Gaza would unfold in three phases including an initial period of about six months, called the early recovery stage, to start clearing the massive amounts of rubble as well as unexploded ordinance. Two subsequent stages would last several years.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa (L) and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty (R) held talks on Monday During this time displaced Palestinians, said to number 1.5 million, would be housed in temporary containers. Photographs in the glossy brochure present them as well-built and designed housing units set in pretty landscaped areas.
Another sensitive aspect is who will run Gaza once this current confrontation ends. President Trump continues to wonder aloud "Why wouldn't they want to move?" His description of Gaza as a "demolition site" underlines how the territory lies in utter ruin. The UN says 90% of homes are damaged or destroyed.
A leak of the draft statement, backed up by sources who have also seen the document, say there is a proposal for a transitional arrangement, a committee of technocrats called a "Gaza Management Committee under the umbrella of the Palestinian government". All the basics of a life worth living, from schools and hospitals to sewage systems and electricity lines, are shredded.
Benjamin Netanyahu, who describes President Trump's Gaza plan as "visionary", has repeatedly ruled out any future role for Hamas, but also for the Palestinian Authority. Watch: Drone footage shows devastation in northern Gaza (29 January)
The draft document "urges the United Nations Security Council to deploy international peacekeeping forces that contribute to ensuring security for both Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank and Gaza Strip." The US President deepened the shock and anger around his ideas when he posted an AI-generated video of a golden Gaza on his Truth Social account which featured a shimmering statue of himself, his close ally Elon Musk enjoying snacks on the beach, and he and the Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu sunning themselves, shirtless. All to a catchy tune, with lines like "Trump Gaza is finally here".
Getting approval from Arab leaders for this new plan may be the easy part. "They had President Trump in mind," remarked one Western diplomat who attended a briefing about Egypt's plan at the foreign ministry in Cairo. "It's very glossy and very well-prepared."
Hamas, which is said to have accepted it will not play a role in running Gaza, still has military and political sway on the ground. Cairo's proposal is said to have drawn on a wide range of expertise, from World Bank professionals on sustainability, to Dubai developers on hotels.
Some Arab states are known to be calling for its complete dismantling; others believe those decisions should be left up to the Palestinians. Hamas itself says disarming is a red line. There are also lessons learned from other ravaged cities which rose from the ruins including Hiroshima, Beirut, and Berlin. And the proposed designs are also influenced by Egypt's own experience in developing its "New Cairo", its grand megaproject which has seen a new administrative capital rising from the desert – at great expense.
As for President Trump, he has said he won't "force" his ideas on anyone but still insists his plan is the one "that really works". The American President has said he won't "force" his ideas on anyone but still insists his plan is the one "that really works".
Now it is up to the Arab states and their allies to prove that their plan is the only plan.