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Arab states are trying to develop an alternative plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip instead of US President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle Palestinians in third countries. According to the Vesty portal, citing Reuters, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will visit Saudi Arabia on 20 February to discuss this plan.
Egyptian sources note that Arab leaders may offer Trump “compensation” of up to $20 billion in exchange for abandoning his initiative.
Trump’s plan envisages the resettlement of a significant part of the Gaza population to neighbouring countries, including Egypt and Jordan. However, the leadership of these countries fears that such a flow of refugees could destabilise the situation inside their countries.
Preparation of an alternative plan
Due to possible risks , Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar have begun to agree on their own strategy for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Their proposal is due to be presented on 4 March at the Arab League summit in Cairo, although a final decision could be made as early as 21 February at talks in Riyadh.
The main idea of the Arab plan is to create a “national Palestinian committee” that will govern Gaza without Hamas’ participation. This body should receive international assistance for the reconstruction of the region, which will help to avoid mass evacuation of the population.
The option of investing up to $20 billion in this project is also being discussed, although the exact amount has not yet been determined.
Is Trump ready to change his position
The Trump administration has confirmed that it is ready to consider alternative proposals if Hamas is deprived of control over Gaza.
The initiators of the Arab plan hope that large-scale financial investments will be a key argument for Trump and convince him to reconsider his own project.
According to the US administration’s original plan, the resettlement of Gazans was to be carried out in stages, with Egypt being one of the main host countries. The Cairo authorities have repeatedly expressed their categorical rejection of this initiative.
