Egypt has recently unveiled a comprehensive plan to rebuild Gaza while ensuring that the Palestinians remain in the fatherland, a plan that is found to be in direct opposition to Donald Trump, president of the United States controversial plan to depopulate the region. AI-Ahram newspaper reported that the Egyptian initiative outlines a step-by-step reconstruction approach which will prioritize securing living arrears as well as infrastructural rehabilitation.
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, discussions surrounding the plan have been ongoing between the Egyptian officials and some other diplomats from Europe, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and these discussions include proposals for an international conference which will aid in fund mobilization for the reconstruction. Egyptian officials stress that the initiative is aimed at countering any strategies that seek to alter Gaza’s geographic and demographic makeup.
A response to crisis by Egypt
The urgency of the Egyptians plan regarding Gaza is as a result of the proposal by Trump which suggested that the U.S. should take control and allow Israel to appropriate Gaza while transforming it into a vacation destination, similar to the French Rivera. The international community however have heavily criticized the plan while stating that Trump’s intentions seems bordered on ethnical cleansing that goes against international norms.
Global Heroes: Grapevine charity triumphs as Coventry City Council scraps funding cuts
Israel on the other hand have continued to assert their claim of Gaza and strengthen their military presence while Palestinians and their neighboring allies, Jordan and Egypt, have been in denial. Ever since Trump proposed his vision, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has started preparing to enforce the said claim on Gaza.
To facilitate the reconstruction efforts, Egypt hopes to set up a pro-Western Palestinian administration that is independent from both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. A major condition of their plan is to add a new layer to existing security infrastructure by introducing Palestinian officers alongside Western and Egyptian trained superiors.
Other Egyptian officials are considering the option of allowing Arab nations to deploy peacekeeping troops. However, the Arabs have made it clear that their intention of doing so is contingent on Israel halting their aggressive actions and agreeing to a manufactured plan for Palestinian independence, something that Netanyahu is not willing to accept.
International engagement and future prospects
The Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi put the initiative under discussions with world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German officials. Additionally, the Egyptian foreign minister has approached European Union diplomats during the recent Munich Security Conference in a bid to gather wider international backing.
The reconstruction strategy explores clearing debris and establishing key facilities over a five phase period of five years, with the initial phase focusing on creating specifically designated safe zones within Gaza. These zones will contain mobile shelters in addition to humanitarian supplies that will aid with housing temporarily during the infrastructure rebuilding phase.
For the reconstruction, about 25 Egyptian and foreign companies are anticipated to join in the clearing and reconstruction efforts which will in turn create thousands of jobs for Gazans.
“Our intention is to rebuild Gaza without their population having to be evacuated. This plan is a strong denial of all initiatives aimed at obliterating Palestinian distinctiveness.” says one Egyptian.
As the first phase of the ceasefire restriction comes to an end in March, additional discussions are essential to put an agreement on a more permanent governing arrangement for Gaza. While it has gained Egypt support with the Arab, its effectiveness depends on world cooperation and resolution to the ongoing conflict.
For now, Egypt remains determined to make the reconstruction of Gaza a recovery driven endeavor while still safeguarding the rights of its people, presenting a stark alternative to Trump’s widely criticized depopulation strategy.