In response to U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to own and develop the Gaza Strip, Arab countries are discussing their own reconstruction plans. The key to this plan is to allow Palestinian residents to remain in the Gaza Strip and for Arab countries to support reconstruction funds.
According to The New York Times (NYT) on the 19th (local time), leaders from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are scheduled to meet in Saudi Arabia on the 21st to discuss reconstruction plans for the Gaza Strip. They also plan to review Arab plans for the Gaza Strip reconstruction again at the Arab League (AL) summit in Cairo, Egypt, on the 3rd of next month.
On that day, Reuters also reported that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi would visit Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss Arab plans for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. The Arab plan is likely to include an investment of up to $20 billion (about 29 trillion won) for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs the West Bank, also stated that around $20 billion would be allocated over approximately three years as the first phase of the reconstruction by Arab countries.
Currently, about 70% of all buildings in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed due to 15 months of Israeli airstrikes, and infrastructure for health, drinking water, and sanitation has collapsed. The United Nations estimates that it will take 21 years to clear 50 million tons of rubble in the Gaza Strip, and the expense for this alone is expected to be at least $1.2 billion (about 1.7276 trillion won).
Arab countries have proposed their own reconstruction plans in opposition to Trump's Gaza Strip proposal. Earlier this month, President Trump revealed plans for the U.S. to take control of the Palestinian Gaza Strip, owning it and forcibly relocating residents, subsequently developing it into a Mediterranean resort. Following the backlash from Arab nations, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "It would be a good thing if Arab countries present a better plan."
The five Arab countries plan to assist in establishing a 'Palestinian Commissioner' unrelated to the Palestinian armed group Hamas, which is engaged in conflict with Israel, to govern the Gaza Strip post-war. Chris Van Hollen, a Democratic U.S. senator who spoke with the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan about the Arab plan, said, "They want to show that they have a viable plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip to propose to Trump and that they are willing to invest resources there."
The Arab plan is not significantly different from the longstanding claims by Arab leaders advocating for the establishment of a Palestinian state that includes the Gaza Strip. NYT noted, "This idea could be presented as a new alternative, but it is by no means new," adding that "Egypt has been promoting this plan for months and has invited Palestinian leaders to Cairo for discussions related to it." The Israeli government has also reportedly shown positive signals regarding Arab leaders supervising the Gaza Strip for over a year, according to NYT.
The problem is that there are many obstacles to realizing the Arab plan. First, while Israel has shown an open stance toward Arab countries' involvement in the Gaza Strip, it opposes the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state. Additionally, approval from the Palestinian Authority is necessary to implement this plan, but Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, is dissatisfied that he has not been granted complete governing authority. This raises the possibility of a conflict between the Palestinian Authority and the 'Palestinian Commissioner.'
The opposition from Hamas is also a concern. Hamas has expressed willingness to concede civil control over the Gaza Strip to the 'Palestinian Commissioner,' but it cannot concede military control. Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, warned, "Anyone trying to replace Israel will be treated like Israel." Even if the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip is carried out according to the Arab plan, there is no adequate way to protect Israel from potential attacks by Hamas, which may be dissatisfied.
Above all, the source of funding, which is an essential condition for the Arab plan, remains unclear. Egypt, which is leading the Arab plan, is planning to invite domestic and foreign corporations to rebuild the Gaza Strip over the next 3 to 5 years. However, it has not provided a clear answer on who will bear this expense. Egypt is expected to request other Arab countries to provide reconstruction funds, but even the scheduling of the summit to discuss this has been postponed, leading to confusion.
NYT stated, "The idea of establishing a Palestinian state itself carries old obstacles as old as itself," noting that "Egypt aims to keep the Palestinian residents in the Gaza Strip instead of forcibly expelling them to Egypt and Jordan, but the details of this plan remain uncertain."