Egypt Rolls Out Counter Proposal to Trump Plan to Build Gaza

CAIRO, TUESDAY — Egypt is developing a comprehensive plan to rebuild Gaza without forcibly relocating Palestinian residents. This plan will serve as a counter-proposal to the one submitted by United States President Donald Trump. However, the plan to rebuild Gaza is still hindered by fragile ceasefire negotiations.

Egypt’s plan includes a three-phase reconstruction process that would take five years. Egypt’s state-run newspaper Al-Ahram said there would be the creation of “safe areas” in Gaza for Palestinians to live in temporarily as the reconstruction of Gaza progresses.

"The proposal is to reject the logic of American President Trump and counter any other vision or plan that aims to change the geographical and demographic structure of the Gaza Strip," wrote Al-Ahram, Tuesday (2/18/2025).

The details of the plan establish three "safe zones" in Gaza to relocate Palestinian residents during the "initial recovery period" for the first six months. These zones will be equipped with mobile homes and shelters supported by humanitarian aid.

In addition, according to Ahram Online, there is the establishment of safe areas for the construction of housing units within 18 months. This plan will involve 24 Egyptian and multinational construction companies. They will rebuild public infrastructure, roads, electricity networks and water systems, including clearing debris in certain areas within six months.

An Egyptian-Arab committee will oversee the reconstruction of Gaza without displacing its residents. The reconstruction will also provide tens of thousands of jobs for the people of Gaza.

“The plan also aims to revitalize the local economy, help Gaza recover from this devastating aggression, and restore minimum living conditions before moving to a full reconstruction phase,” former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister Mohamed Hegazy told Ahram Online last week.

Hegazy continued, the international community must not disappoint the Palestinian people again on a humanitarian level, as they have been disappointed on a political level.

This proposal by Egypt is to reject the logic of US President Donald Trump and oppose other visions or plans aimed at altering the geographical and demographic structure of the Gaza Strip.

Egypt will finalize the reconstruction plan next week and propose the first phase period after the emergency Arab Summit in Cairo on February 27.

Egyptian officials have discussed the plan with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates as well as several European countries, according to Egyptian officials and diplomats from other countries. They also discussed ways to fund the reconstruction, including an international conference on the reconstruction of Gaza.

“Cairo confirmed that several European countries have expressed their willingness to participate in Gaza reconstruction efforts,” Saudi state media Al-Arabiya reported.

Another key part of Egypt’s plan is the issue of the future governance of Gaza. According to two Egyptian officials, Cairo is proposing the creation of a Palestinian government that is not aligned with Hamas, which rules Gaza, or the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, to administer Gaza and oversee the reconstruction process.

The Egyptian plan also calls for the creation of a Palestinian police force made up mostly of former Palestinian Authority police who remained in Gaza after Hamas took power in the territory in 2007. Egypt and Western countries would send reinforcements.

The future of Gaza's reconstruction is uncertain. The current calm in Gaza is at a critical point as the first phase of the ceasefire is set to expire in early March 2025.

Hamas and Israel are still negotiating about implementing the second phase of the ceasefire. If agreed, in the second stage all Israeli hostages will be released from Gaza, all Israeli troops will be completely withdrawn from Gaza, and the long-term war will end.

Any reconstruction plan would be impossible without a second phase of a ceasefire deal, including an agreement on who will govern Gaza. Israel does not recognize Hamas, and rejects the creation of a Palestinian state.

"Since the beginning of the crisis, Egypt has realized that the core of this aggression is an attempt to forcibly displace the Palestinian people. Therefore, reconstruction must follow the ceasefire agreement to ensure that the Palestinians can remain on their land," Hegazy stressed.

When asked about the possibility of deploying Arab troops in Gaza, an Egyptian official and an Arab diplomat said Arab states would only agree if there was a “clear path” to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Hamas has said it is willing to cede power in Gaza. Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou said Sunday that Hamas accepts a unity Palestinian government without Hamas or a technocratic committee to govern the territory. The Palestinian Authority has so far opposed any plan that excludes it on Gaza.

On Sunday (16/2/2025), Jordan's Crown Prince Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II expressed support for Egypt's plan when he met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo. They reaffirmed the establishment of a Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Egypt’s plan is a counter-plan to the controversial US proposal. In late January 2025, Trump caused an international uproar. He suggested permanently relocating some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring Arab countries and said the US would take over Gaza to rebuild it into a “Middle East Riviera.”

Palestinians have strongly opposed the proposal. Egypt and Jordan, meanwhile, have objected to the proposal, including because their territories are the target of the relocation. Human rights groups have said Trump's proposal could potentially amount to a war crime.

On Monday (17/2/2025), Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed that Egypt's firm rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians is supported by the Arab world and the international community. The statement came at the fourth meeting of the International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution, an initiative launched by Saudi Arabia in October 2024.

“The two-state solution remains the only viable path to achieving lasting peace and security for all the peoples of the Middle East,” Abdelatty said.

During a visit to Saudi Arabia on Monday (2/17/2025), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that the US is ready to listen to alternative proposals. "If the Arab countries have a better plan, that's great," Rubio said earlier on the Clay and Buck Show last week.

A Western diplomat said France and Germany support the idea of Arab states developing a counter-plan to Trump's plan. He said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi discussed his government's efforts with French President Emmanuel Macron by phone earlier this month.

Rehabilitating Gaza will be a daunting task. After the 16-month Hamas-Israel war, some 250,000 housing units, more than 90 percent of roads, and more than 80 percent of health facilities were damaged or destroyed. Infrastructure damage is projected to reach $30 billion, while housing damage is estimated at $16 billion.

According to United Nations estimates, reconstruction could take more than 16 years. Clearing more than 50 million tons of debris from Israeli bombing could take up to 21 years and cost up to $1.2 billion. (AP)