Egyptian Efforts Lead Arab Efforts for Gaza Reconstruction Amid Israeli Pressure

Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badr Abdel Atti, announced the completion of the proposed Egyptian-Arab plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, which will be presented to Arab leaders during the emergency summit in Cairo tomorrow, Tuesday. Abdel Atti explained during a joint press conference with the EU Commissioner for Mediterranean Affairs that the plan will not be presented to any foreign party before it is approved by the Arab leaders.

Rejection of Trump’s Proposal

Egypt seeks to secure Arab support for its plan as an alternative to the rejected U.S. plan, which aims to push Gaza’s residents to migrate to neighboring countries and transform the Strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” This comes through talks hosted by Cairo today for Arab foreign ministers, in preparation for the Arab summit that will discuss Gaza’s reconstruction plan.

Negotiations on the Second Phase of the Agreement: Delay or Implementation?

Abdel Atti emphasized the necessity for the “faithful and complete implementation” of the ceasefire agreement signed last January, calling on the European Union to apply more pressure on Israel to ensure its continuity. While Israel supported a U.S. proposal to extend the first phase of the agreement until mid-April, Hamas rejects the extension and calls for an immediate transition to the second phase, which includes the release of all detainees and the final cessation of hostilities.

Escalation

With the conclusion of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, Israel halted the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza after Hamas rejected U.S. envoy Steve Wittkoff’s proposal for continuing talks, as announced. This decision faced widespread Arab and international condemnation, with Egypt and Qatar, the mediators in the talks, accusing Israel of violating humanitarian law by using starvation as a tool of pressure against the Palestinians.