PNN – The Arab summit in Cairo approved Egypt’s plan for the reconstruction of Gaza, a $53 billion plan to be implemented within five years and focused on immediate relief, reconstruction, and economic development.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Badr Abdel Ati, announced that all the ideas and plans presented by Egypt have been agreed upon at the extraordinary summit of Arab leaders.
He explained at a press conference on the sidelines of the extraordinary Arab summit held in Cairo on Tuesday that the plan presented by Egypt for the reconstruction of Gaza was prepared in full coordination with the Palestinian government.
Abdul Ati added: After the approval of this project at the Arab level, necessary measures will be taken to introduce it at the international level. He said that this plan includes providing temporary housing for Palestinians in Gaza, clearing debris and neutralizing unexploded bombs.
According to him, in the first phase of Gaza reconstruction, 200 thousand permanent housing units will be built. The cost of this stage is estimated to be around 20 billion dollars and its implementation time is estimated to be around two years. The second phase will last two and a half years.
He continued that, based on this plan, a port and an airport will also be built in Gaza, and the rubble from the destruction of houses and roads will be reused.
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General details of Egypt plan
The plan, which is considered an alternative to the American “Riviera Middle East” project, will be implemented with a budget of $53 billion over five years and focuses on immediate aid, reconstruction, and economic development.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced in a closing statement at the Arab leaders’ meeting in Cairo that Arab leaders had approved the Cairo plan as a solution to the proposal of former US President Donald Trump. In his plan, Trump sought American control of the Gaza Strip and the resettlement of its residents to Egypt and Jordan, but the Egyptian plan emphasizes reconstruction without displacing the people of Gaza.
Two phases for Gaza reconstruction, to be implemented over four and a half years
Egypt’s plan consists of two phases, lasting a total of four and a half years. The first phase, which will last until 2027, will require a budget of $20 billion and will include the construction of basic infrastructure, service networks, public buildings, permanent housing units and the reclamation of 20,000 hectares of agricultural land. The second phase, with a budget of $30 billion until 2030, will include the development of industrial zones, the construction of a fishing port, a commercial port and an airport.
The plan calls for the creation of seven areas for the temporary settlement of more than 1.5 million Palestinians. The residents of these areas will be housed in prefabricated houses, with an average capacity of six people per unit. In addition, 60,000 partially destroyed housing units will be renovated, increasing the settlement capacity to 360,000 people upon completion.
Creating an international fund to manage financial resources
Egypt has proposed to create an internationally supervised fund to manage and allocate financial obligations. The purpose of this fund is to ensure stable financing, transparency and monitoring of the way financial resources are spent in the process of reconstruction of Gaza.
In this regard, Cairo plans to hold a high-level ministerial conference to mobilize international financial support for the implementation of the plan. The conference will be held in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations, with the participation of donor countries, regional and international financial institutions, the Palestinian and international private sector, and civil society organizations. The Arab Summit has supported the holding of the conference in March.
Establishing a Gaza Administration Committee and planning for the deployment of Palestinian police forces
Under the Egyptian plan, an independent committee of technocrats and non-partisan figures is currently being formed to take over the administration of Gaza for a six-month transitional period. The committee will operate under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority, paving the way for the PA’s full return to Gaza.
In this regard, Egypt and Jordan are training Palestinian police forces to be deployed in Gaza in the near future. The reconstruction plan also notes that the UN Security Council is considering the deployment of an international force to protect and maintain peace in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This will be pursued within a broad framework and with a clear timetable for the formation of an independent Palestinian state and strengthening its capacities.
Emphasis on the two-state solution and holding Palestinian elections
The document also refers to the multiplicity of Palestinian armed groups and states that this challenge can be managed only if there is a clear political vision for the realization of Palestinian rights. It also emphasizes that all efforts must be directed towards the realization of a two-state solution and that there is no alternative to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The final statement of the Arab summit emphasized holding general elections in all Palestinian regions within a year, if conditions are met. In this regard, Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, announced that the organization is ready to hold elections next year. This is despite the fact that the last general elections in Palestine were held about two decades ago.