Leaders convened at a special meeting of the Arab League in Cairo have approved an Egyptian plan aimed at rebuilding the war-torn Gaza Strip. As indicated in the 112-page draft document, the recovery phase will concentrate on clearing debris and establishing temporary housing, with an estimated cost of approximately $3 billion.
The first proper phase of the plan proposes constructing 200,000 housing units in Gaza over the next two years. In the subsequent stage, an additional 200,000 housing units will be built.
By the year 2030, the plan envisions the creation of hundreds of thousands of new homes accommodating up to 3 million residents, alongside an airport, industrial areas, hotels, and parks.
President Sisi mentioned that an “independent” Palestinian entity would oversee Gaza under the reconstruction initiative, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas indicating his authority’s willingness to get involved. Sissi called on the international community to support the Egyptian reconstruction initiative, which has received support from the United Nations and the European Union.
During the Cairo summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he “strongly endorsed” the Arab-led plan, expressing that “the UN is prepared to cooperate in this effort fully.”
EU Council President Antonio Costa also praised the proposals, saying they “provide hope to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and overseas” and that “the immense suffering we have all witnessed over the past year and a half” might come to an end.
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa also expressed his support, commending Egypt’s plan and calling for regional support to strengthen ties and protect their national interests.
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa participated in the summit, marking his first attendance since ousting long-time leader Bashar al-Assad nearly three months ago. Sharaa labelled Trump’s proposals as “a crime that cannot take place.”
For any reconstruction financing, significant involvement from wealthy Gulf states like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia would be crucial. Both nations do not support Hamas, the Islamist group currently governing the region.
While the full scale of the devastation will only be understood once inspectors have complete access to the territory, the UN has estimated through satellite imagery that nearly 70% of all buildings in Gaza have sustained damage or destruction, which includes over 245,000 homes.
