Europe Welcomes Arab Plan for Gaza Reconstruction

European leaders have expressed their support for a reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip, developed by Arab nations. The foreign ministers of Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom jointly announced that the plan offers a realistic approach to significantly improve the dire living conditions of approximately two million Palestinians residing in the coastal enclave.

The ministers emphasized the necessity of establishing a robust framework that would be acceptable to both Israel and the Palestinians, ensuring long-term peace and security in the region. They reiterated that Hamas should not govern Gaza nor pose a threat to Israel, while underscoring the importance of a central role for the Palestinian Authority, which currently governs only the West Bank.

The ministers urged all parties involved to consider the benefits of the plan as a starting point for future discussions. However, as of now, no financial commitments from Arab or other donor nations or international organizations have been disclosed.

Egypt, which shares a border with the Gaza Strip, aims to garner broad international backing for the approximately 90-page plan. This initiative seeks to counter controversial proposals made by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had suggested transforming Gaza into a thriving 'Riviera of the East' under U.S. oversight, with plans to relocate the Palestinian population to neighboring Arab states.

The Egyptian plan outlines a five-year strategy that begins with clearing debris in Gaza, followed by the construction of both temporary and permanent housing for displaced Palestinians. The estimated cost of this ambitious project is around 50 billion euros.

The proposal also mentions the establishment of a Palestinian technical committee that would assume control of the Gaza Strip during a six-month transitional period. This arrangement is intended to occur under the auspices of the Palestinian government, leading to a complete handover to the more moderate Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas. However, Israel has previously rejected this scenario.

In summary, the reconstruction initiative for Gaza represents a significant diplomatic effort by Arab states and their European allies to address the humanitarian crisis in the region, emphasizing the need for a collaborative and peaceful resolution to ongoing tensions.