Arab leaders endorsed Egypt’s $53 billion postwar plan for the Gaza Strip that would allow its roughly 2 million Palestinians to remain. A counterproposal to Donald Trump’s plan to depopulate the territory and redevelop it as a beach destination.
Dubbed the “Cairo Declaration” the summit urged the international community and international and regional financial institutions to swiftly provide the necessary support for the plan. It emphasized that these efforts run parallel to launching a political path and a horizon for a permanent and just solution, aimed at fulfilling the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to establish their state and live in peace and security.
It is linked with the “Bahrain Declaration” issued on May 16, 2024, which rejects any form of displacement of the Palestinian people from their land or within it, under any pretext, circumstance, justification, or claim.
The Egyptian plan, consisting of 112 pages, features maps illustrating the redevelopment of Gaza’s lands, along with AI-generated images showcasing housing projects, parks and community centers. The plan envisions a commercial port, a technology hub, and beachfront hotels.
According to the plan, the early recovery phase is projected to last six months, focusing on clearing rubble and installing temporary housing. The first phase of reconstruction is expected to take two years and will include the construction of 200,000 housing units, costing an estimated $20bn. The second phase, budgeted at $30bn and spanning two and a half years, will involve building an additional 200,000 residential units, as well as an airport in Gaza.
Hundreds of thousands of temporary housing units would be set up for Gaza’s population while reconstruction takes place. Rubble would be recycled, with some of it used as infill to expand land on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast.
According to the plan, Egypt and Jordan would be responsible for training Palestinian police forces in preparation for their deployment in Gaza. It also proposes a Security Council resolution to deploy international peacekeeping forces in the Palestinian territories “in an integrated context for the establishment of a Palestinian state.” The plan stresses the importance of forming the Gaza management committee promptly, enabling its full return to the Strip and the management of the next phase under Palestinian leadership. Speaking at the Cairo summit, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he “strongly endorsed” the Arab-led initiative, adding: “The UN stands ready to fully cooperate in this endeavor.”
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said an “independent” Palestinian body would manage Gaza under the reconstruction plan, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas saying his Palestinian Authority would be prepared to play a role.
While the full extent of the damage will only be known once inspectors have full access to the territory, the UN estimated that nearly 70% of all structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. This includes over 245,000 homes. Another UN estimate says that the war has littered Gaza with over 50 million tons of rubble — roughly 12 times the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
After the summit, el-Sissi said he looked forward to working with Trump, other Arab nations and the international community “to adopt a plan that aims for a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian Issue, ends the root causes of the Israeli Palestinian conflict, guarantees the security and stability of the peoples of the region and establishes the Palestinian State.”
White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes dismissed the Egyptian proposal as unworkable stating: “The current proposal does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance. President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas. We look forward to further talks to bring peace and prosperity to the region.” Hughes added that, “While the President stands by his bold vision for a post-war Gaza, he welcomes input from our Arab partners in the region.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who heads the Palestinian Authority (PA), welcomed the Egyptian proposal. In power since 2005, Abbas said he was ready to hold presidential and parliamentary elections if circumstances allowed, adding his PA was the only legitimate governing and military force in the occupied Palestinian territories.
