Egypt has proposed a $53 billion plan to rebuild Gaza over five years, focusing on emergency relief, infrastructure restoration and long-term economic development, according to a draft document seen by AFP.
The proposal, set to be discussed at an extraordinary Arab summit in Cairo later on Tuesday, counters a plan floated by US President Donald Trump last month to assume control of war-torn Gaza and displace its Palestinian population, including to Egypt and Jordan.
Palestinians, along with Arab states and many of Israel and the United States’ partners, have condemned Trump’s proposal, rejecting any efforts to expel Gazans.
– Early recovery phase –
– The draft plan, shared by a diplomatic source with AFP, outlines two phases: an early recovery phase and a reconstruction phase.
– The early recovery phase, expected to last six months and cost $3 billion, would focus on “removing mines and unexploded ordnance, clearing debris and providing temporary housing”.
– To address immediate shelter needs in that phase, Egypt proposes setting up seven designated sites within Gaza to house more than 1.5 million displaced people in temporary housing units, each accommodating an average of six people.
– The plan also includes initial repairs to 60,000 partially damaged homes to accommodate 360,000 people.
– Reconstruction phase –
– The reconstruction phase would take place in two stages over four and a half years.
– The first stage, running until 2027 with a budget of $20 billion, would focus on rebuilding essential infrastructure, including roads, utility networks and public service facilities. It also calls for constructing 200,000 permanent housing units for 1.6 million people and reclaiming 20,000 acres of land.
– The second stage, extending to 2030 at an estimated cost of $30 billion, aims to complete infrastructure projects, build another 200,000 housing units and establish industrial zones, a fishing port, a commercial seaport and an airport.
– Funding –
– The plan proposes creating an internationally supervised trust fund to ensure efficient and sustainable funding, as well as transparency and oversight.
– Cairo will also host a high-level ministerial conference to bring together donor countries, international and regional financial institutions, the private sector and civil society groups to secure funding.
– Who will run Gaza? –
– A Gaza administration committee, made up of independent technocrats and non-partisan figures, would be formed under the Palestinian government to manage the territory for a transitional period of six months. The move is described as a step toward enabling the Palestinian Authority to fully resume control.
– The draft says Egypt and Jordan are training Palestinian security forces to take on law enforcement in Gaza. It also calls for international and regional support to help fund this effort.
– It raises the prospect of an international presence in the Palestinian territories, including a possible UN Security Council resolution to deploy peacekeeping or protection forces in Gaza and the West Bank. This would be part of a broader “timeline leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state and the building of its capabilities”.
– The plan acknowledges the challenge posed by armed factions in Gaza, saying the issue could be resolved through a “credible political process” that restores Palestinian rights and offers a clear path forward.