The plan is presented as an alternative to US President Donald Trump’s widely criticized proposal to assume control of war-torn Palestinian territory.
The plan was discussed at the extraordinary Arab Federation Summit in Cairo on Tuesday, with several Arab heads of state, foreign ministers and other high-level representatives present.
Egyptian President Abdel Fatta El-Sisi said in his opening remarks that the plan would ensure Gazan would “remain on their land.”
Sisi proposed to establish an independent administrative committee of Palestinian experts to temporarily oversee the issue of Gaza, paving the way for the return of Palestinian authority.
The Egyptian plan outlines a five-year roadmap at an estimated cost of $53 billion, roughly in line with the UN’s assessment of Gaza’s reconstruction needs.
The proposed early recovery phase, which is expected to last six months and costs $3 billion, will focus on clearing up misfire and debris and providing temporary housing.
It will then run until 2027 and will be followed by an initial $200 billion reconstruction phase focusing on critical infrastructure and permanent housing rebuilding.
The next phase of the reconstruction will be extended to 2030 at an estimated cost of $30 billion, aiming to build more housing, infrastructure, industrial and commercial facilities.
The plan also proposes establishing an internationally supervised trust fund to ensure efficient and sustainable funding with transparency and monitoring mechanisms.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed strong support for the Egyptian-led initiative.
“The United Nations is ready to fully cooperate with this effort,” he added.
Guterres highlighted the need for a clear political framework to support Gaza’s recovery, reconstruction and long-term stability.
He said Gaza is “an integral part of an independent, democratic, sovereign Palestinian state, with no territories or forced demobilization.”
Guterres also called for the resumption of “serious” ceasefire negotiations, the release of prisoners and detainees, and the removal of obstacles that would prevent the provision of life-saving assistance to Gaza.
“Humanitarian assistance is not negotiable and must flow without obstacles,” Guterres said.
He has addressed concerns about the spread of violence in the West Bank of Occupy, which has produced significant evacuation and destruction over the past few weeks.
“Over 40,000 Palestinians have been forced to evacuate in the last few months, the largest evacuation in the West Bank in decades,” Guterres said.
He condemned demolition, eviction, expansion of settlements and settlers’ violence, seeking emergency discharges.
“The attack and Mount violence must end. Israel as a right to occupation must comply with all obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and Palestinian authorities must be supported to govern effectively and do so in accordance with their obligations under international law.”
Palestinian authorities President Mahmoud Abbas has firmly rejected the proposal, including a population relocation from Gaza.
“We will also repeatedly reject Israeli practices and mandate the reality of occupation in the West Bank and Jerusalem, undermining the two states’ solutions and the Palestinian cause.”
He also condemned Israel’s actions aimed at undermining the solutions in the two states through occupational practices in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Abbas praised Arab-Egypt’s plan to rebuild the Palestinians to keep them in their homelands.
“We are calling on Trump to support efforts to rebuild these foundations, not on any other base.”
Abbas also expressed that he is ready to hold presidential and parliamentary elections if the conditions allow.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid joined other leaders who supported Egyptian plans during their speech at the summit.
Trump sparked global rage when the US first came up with his idea to “take” the Gaza Strip into a “riviera” in West Asia, while forcing Palestinian residents to migrate to Egypt and Jordan.
Palestinians, Arab countries, and many European governments have rejected Trump’s proposal and opposed efforts to expel Gazan.
Trump recently seemed to be tempering his stance by saying he was “not forcing” the plan. Experts said it could violate international law.
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