Egypt to unveil two-phase counter proposal to Trump’s post-war Gaza plan

The Egyptian government is reportedly seeking to present a counterproposal to U.S. President Donald Trump’s post-war Gaza plan to resettle two million Gazans in other nations while the coastal strip is rebuilt under the U.S. administration.

Trump has reportedly pressured Egypt and Jordan to accept a large number of Gazans, something that both countries oppose due to security and ideological reasons. The Egyptian plan for Gaza reportedly includes a 10-year reconstruction plan, the redistribution of Gaza’s population and international oversight concerning weapons. It also calls for an eventual implementation of a two-state solution through the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Unlike the Gaza plan outlined by U.S. President Donald Trump, Egypt wants Gaza’s population to remain in the Strip while it is rebuilt through international efforts. However, the majority of Gaza’s buildings have been seriously damaged or destroyed as a result of the war and Hamas terrorists embedding themselves in civilian structures. Therefore, it is unclear where Egypt believes Gazans should reside during the restriction, which is expected to last more than one decade.

Furthermore, Egypt's Gaza plan does not address Israel’s security concerns. The Jewish state has, with Washington’s backing, demanded a demilitarization of Gaza and disarmament of Hamas and other terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip. However, the Egyptian plan proposes restrictions rather than a complete disarmament of Hamas and other terror groups. The plan also proposes that European and Egyptian monitors oversee designated weapons storage sites inside Gaza.

Egypt has also called for the establishment of an Arab-led international committee to manage governance and security in Gaza during the interim phase and suggested that the U.S. security firm currently active in Gaza will mainly focus on preserving security at three key border contact points between Israel and Gaza.

The second phase of the Egyptian outline calls for upgrading the Palestinian Authority (PA) into de facto statehood and connecting Gaza to Judea and Samaria (internationally known as the West Bank) with East Jerusalem as its proposed capital.

The Israeli government has already opposed the Egyptian plan out of concern that Hamas and other terrorist groups will rearm unless Israel has oversight in Gaza’s reconstruction.

On the other hand, much of the Arab world is strongly opposed to Trump’s plan to relocate the Gazan population to Arab countries and other third countries.

“These are dark days. There is shock and concern following Trump's words,” an unnamed Arab diplomat told Israel's Kan News in early February. “This is the negotiating method of a real estate man, not a statesman. Migration is a red line and there is no room for thinking about it.”

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty argued earlier this month that Gaza’s reconstruction should proceed “without the Palestinians leaving the Strip."

Egypt and several affluent Arab states are allegedly calling for $20 billion to be invested in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

France and Germany have also voiced their opposition to Trump’s Gaza plan and called for an implementation of the two-state solution.

“France reiterates its opposition to any forced displacement of the Palestinian population of Gaza, which would constitute a serious violation of international law, an attack on the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, but also a major obstacle to the two-state solution and a major destabilizing factor for our close partners Egypt and Jordan as well as for the entire region,” French Foreign Ministry Spokesman Christophe Lemoine stated.