France, Germany, Italy, UK back Arab plan for Gaza reconstruction that was rejected by Trump

A tent encampment in Gaza City, 7 March 2025

Jack Khoury and Reuters report in Haaretz on 8 March 2025:

Foreign ministers from France, Germany, Italy and the UK said on Saturday they supported an Arab-backed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza that would cost $53 billion and avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave.

The Egyptian proposal envisages the creation of an administrative committee of independent, professional Palestinian technocrats entrusted with the governance of Gaza after the end of the war between Israel and Hamas. The committee would temporarily be responsible for overseeing humanitarian aid and managing the enclave under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority for a period of six months, after which the PA would take the reins of government.

“The plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza and promises – if implemented – swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions for the Palestinians living in Gaza,” the ministers said in a joint statement.  The statement said Hamas “must neither govern Gaza nor be a threat to Israel anymore” and that the four countries “support the central role for the Palestinian Authority and the implementation of its reform agenda.”

The plan, which was drawn up by Egypt and adopted by Arab leaders on Tuesday, has been rejected by Israel and by US President Donald Trump, who has presented his own vision to turn the Gaza Strip into a “Middle East Riviera.” It envisions a five-year reconstruction process, with a first stage lasting around six months in which rubble is cleared and temporary housing options are created.

The plan “does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance,” U.S. National Security Spokesperson Brian Hughes said.   Hughes added that “President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas” and that the U.S. looks “forward to further talks to bring peace and prosperity to the region.”

Arab leaders from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, and other Arab states convened in Cairo Tuesday for an emergency summit aimed at forming a unified stance against and an alternative to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal of resettling Gaza’s population.

Trump has repeatedly called for the U.S. to take over the Gaza Strip and for Gaza’s population to be resettled in Egypt and Jordan. Last month, he said he was “committed to buying and owning Gaza,” adding that letting Palestinians currently living there go back once they are removed from the territory would be a “big mistake.”

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