Arab leaders endorsed a US$53 billion (£41 billion) plan to rebuild war-torn Gaza at an emergency summit in Cairo on March 4. The proposal, which was drawn up by Egypt and has been backed by France, Germany, Italy and Britain, rivals US president Donald Trump’s idea for the US to “take over Gaza” and permanently resettle its 2.1 million inhabitants.
Egypt’s reconstruction plan calls for Gaza to be rebuilt over five years. It is designed in three phases, structured to stabilise, reconstruct and develop the region into a self-sustaining economy. Gazans will remain in their homeland throughout.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas would be sidelined under the plan. Hamas, which has been the de facto governing body in the Gaza Strip since 2007, would be replaced immediately by an “administrative committee” made up of independent technocrats and non-partisan local figures.
