Egypt has called for the urgent reconstruction of Gaza and stressed that Palestinians should not be forced to leave, while urging the Palestinian Authority to “assume its duties” in the territory.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty made the statement during a scheduled meeting in Cairo with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa on Wednesday. Their talks came just hours after former U.S. President Donald Trump proposed that the United States take control of Gaza and relocate its population to other countries.
Trump has previously suggested moving Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan—an idea both nations have firmly rejected.
While Egypt’s foreign ministry did not directly address Trump’s latest remarks on a U.S. takeover, it emphasised the need for urgent recovery efforts in Gaza. Abdelatty and Mustafa agreed on “the importance of moving forward with early recovery projects… at an accelerated pace… without the Palestinians leaving the Gaza Strip, especially with their commitment to their land and refusal to leave it,” according to an Egyptian foreign ministry statement.
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump claimed there was backing from the “highest leadership” in the Middle East. However, Egypt and Jordan—key U.S. allies—have refused to participate in his plan to “clean out” Gaza, instead calling for the implementation of a two-state solution.
Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s stance, stressing “the importance of empowering the Palestinian Authority politically and economically, and its assuming its duties in the Gaza Strip as part of the occupied Palestinian territories.”
Since 2007, Hamas has maintained control over Gaza, while the Palestinian Authority—recognised internationally—exercises only partial authority over the West Bank.
