Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is expected to travel to Riyadh on Thursday, where he is expected to discuss an Arab plan for Gaza, which could include up to $20 billion from the region for reconstruction, two Egyptian security sources said.
Arab states plan to discuss a post-war plan for Gaza to counter US President Donald Trump's proposal to rebuild the strip under US control and displace Palestinians, which has angered regional leaders.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are expected to discuss the Arab plan in Riyadh before it is presented at an Arab summit to be held in Cairo on March 4, Reuters reported, citing sources.
Leaders of Arab states, including Jordan, Egypt, the UAE and Qatar, are expected to gather in Saudi Arabia, which is leading Arab efforts on Trump's plan, on Friday, although some sources said the date had not yet been confirmed.
The Arab proposal envisages the formation of a national Palestinian committee to govern Gaza without Hamas participation, with international participation in reconstruction and without the displacement of Palestinians abroad.
Arab states were appalled by Trump's plan to "cleanse" Gaza of Palestinians and relocate most of them to Jordan and Egypt, creating a Middle Eastern riviera. The idea was immediately rejected by Cairo and Amman, and is seen as deeply destabilizing in much of the region.
The Arab proposal, which is largely based on the Egyptian plan, envisages the formation of a national Palestinian committee to govern Gaza without Hamas participation, with international participation in reconstruction and without the displacement of Palestinians abroad.
A $20 billion contribution from a fund financed by Arab and Gulf states, which two sources cited as a likely figure, could be a good incentive for Trump to accept the plan, said Emirati academic Abdulhalek Abdullah.
"Trump looks through the prism of trade, so $20 billion would sound very tempting to him," Abdullah said.
“It would benefit many American and Israeli companies,” he added.
The Palestinian Authority cabinet announced yesterday that the first phase of the plan, currently under discussion, would cost approximately $20 billion over three years.
"My conversations with Arab leaders, most recently with King Abdullah, have convinced me that they have a really realistic assessment of what their role should be," Senator Richard Blumenthal told reporters in Tel Aviv during a visit to Israel on Monday.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sarr said Israel was waiting to assess the plan as it took shape, but warned that any plan in which Hamas remains present in Gaza is not acceptable.
“When we hear it, we will know how to approach it,” he said.
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