The Arab League emergency summit in Cairo on March 4 issued a joint statement approving a plan for the future of the post-conflict Gaza Strip proposed by host country Egypt.
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| Arab leaders at the opening ceremony of the Gaza Summit in Cairo, Egypt, March 4. (Source: AFP) |
Attending this special summit were leaders and senior officials from 22 Arab League (AL) member countries, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, President of the European Council (EC) Antonio Costa, Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit...
Find common ground
The conference, which took place at the same time as Muslims entered the first days of Ramadan, highlighted the urgency of finding a common voice on the reconstruction and management of the post-conflict Gaza Strip in the Arab League. This was especially important in the context of many countries in the region and around the world opposing US President Donald Trump's proposal in early February to "take over the Gaza Strip", turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East" and resettle Palestinians to neighboring countries such as Egypt and Jordan.
In addition, the three-phase ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which was reached with the support of the US, Egypt and Qatar, took effect on January 19 and ended phase one on March 1, but has not been able to continue phase two and is facing the risk of collapse.
In his closing speech at the Conference, President of the host country Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi stated that the AL's approval of a plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip without having to relocate more than two million residents here shows the unity of AL leaders on the Palestinian issue.
According to Mr. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the $53 billion reconstruction plan will be carried out in three phases over five years. The reconstruction will take place simultaneously with a clear political and security solution, with the participation of regional countries and the support of the international community to achieve a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.
The host country's president said that Egypt, in cooperation with Palestine, has established an administrative committee of independent Palestinian experts and technocrats to oversee the relief operations and temporarily manage the territory until the Palestinian Authority takes over the Gaza Strip. Egypt is currently coordinating with relevant parties to train Palestinian forces who will take on the task of maintaining security in the Gaza Strip. According to Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Cairo plans to hold a conference on Gaza reconstruction with specific plans next April.
Speaking at the conference, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas announced that the Palestinian Authority (PA) will resume control of the Gaza Strip according to the post-conflict plan announced by Arab leaders. Mr. Abbas stressed that the PA can take on “its duties in the Gaza Strip through government institutions and a specialized committee established for this purpose.” The PA’s security apparatus will take on “responsibilities after restructuring and unifying the personnel in the Gaza Strip with training and support from Egypt and Jordan.”
According to AL Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, violence cannot be ended by displacing Palestinians and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip is possible while people still live on their historic land. Mr. Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said that the Palestinian people “have the right to live in peace on their land and we cannot accept any illegal projects in the area”.
The Road Is Bumpy
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations stands ready to support Egypt's proposed reconstruction plan that calls for Gaza to be an integral part of the Palestinian state. He also urged Israel and Hamas to maintain the agreed ceasefire framework and return to the negotiating table. The UN Secretary-General called the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip "horrific" and called on Tel Aviv to allow humanitarian aid into the strip.
On March 2, immediately after the first phase of the ceasefire agreement ended, Israel decided not to allow any goods or supplies to be transported into the Gaza Strip in order to pressure Hamas to accept the extension of the first phase of the agreement. Hamas, on its part, wants to move on to the second phase as agreed to negotiate the withdrawal.
In phase one, according to CNN, Hamas returned 33 hostages to Israel, including two hostages held in Gaza for 10 years, five Thai citizens and eight bodies of Israelis. In return, Israel released a total of 1,737 Palestinian prisoners, including 120 women and children.
In a statement after the conference, Mahmoud Mardawi, a senior leader of the movement, told Al Jazeera that Hamas supported the reconstruction plan, proposed the establishment of a committee to govern the Gaza Strip and conduct national elections.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein criticized the Arab League, saying the conference’s joint statement was “rooted in outdated ideas.” “With the idea of US President Donald Trump, the people of Gaza have the opportunity to freely choose their place of residence. However, Arab countries have rejected this opportunity and continue to make baseless accusations against Israel,” Oren Marmorstein wrote on X.
The road to reconstruction and security in the Gaza Strip remains thorny. However, the Conference’s approval of a reconstruction plan and a viable political solution is an important step forward in finding a solution to the conflict that has lasted for more than a year. At the same time, the Conference affirmed the role of the AL in resolving regional issues.
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