Egypt is formulating a strategy to reconstruct Gaza without displacing Palestinians from the area, countering Donald Trump’s suggestion to depopulate the region for U.S. control.
According to Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram newspaper, the plan includes the creation of “secure areas” within Gaza where Palestinians can initially reside while Egyptian and international construction companies work on restoring the territory’s infrastructure.
Egyptian officials have been in discussions regarding this plan with European diplomats, as well as representatives from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, as reported by two Egyptian officials and various Arab and Western diplomats. They are also exploring funding options for the reconstruction, which may include an international conference focused on Gaza’s rebuilding, as noted by one Egyptian official and an Arab diplomat.
The officials and diplomats requested anonymity due to the ongoing negotiations surrounding the proposal.
This initiative follows widespread international criticism of Trump’s suggestion to remove the approximately 2 million Palestinians from Gaza. Trump proposed that the U.S. would take control of the Gaza Strip and transform it into a “Riviera of the Middle East,” while preventing the return of Palestinians.
Palestinians have consistently expressed their determination to remain in their homeland, and both Egypt and Jordan, with support from Saudi Arabia, have rejected Trump’s calls for them to accept Gaza’s population. Human rights organizations have condemned the plan as a form of forced expulsion, which constitutes a war crime. European nations have largely criticized Trump’s proposal as well.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has endorsed the concept, stating that Israel is preparing to act on it.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was visiting Saudi Arabia on Monday as part of a regional tour, indicated that the United States is open to considering alternative proposals. “If the Arab countries have a better plan, then that’s great,” Rubio remarked during an appearance on the U.S. radio program “Clay and Buck Show.”
Egypt’s Al-Ahram newspaper reported that the proposal aims to challenge the reasoning of American President Trump and to oppose any alternative visions or plans intended to alter the geographic and demographic landscape of the Gaza Strip.
