White House Rejects Egypt’s Gaza Reconstruction Plan for Not Forcing Palestinian Expulsion

Washington (Quds News Network)- The White House has rejected Egypt’s proposal for rebuilding Gaza, which Arab League leaders adopted on Tuesday, stressing that the US believes that the people of Gaza need to be expelled, reported Axios.

White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes explained the decision.

“The current proposal does not address the reality that Gaza is uninhabitable,” Hughes said. “Residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance.”

He reaffirmed US President Trump’s goal to get rid of Hamas, echoing one of Israel’s war goals. “President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas,” Hughes stated.

Arab leaders had gathered in Cairo for an emergency summit to discuss Gaza’s future. They approved Egypt’s reconstruction plan, which includes:

• A six-month administrative committee that would govern Gaza under the Palestinian government. The committee will be independent and composed of technocrats, paving the way for a full Palestinian-led administration.
• Egypt and Jordan will train Palestinian police in preparation for deployment in Gaza. The possibility of international peacekeeping forces in Gaza and the West Bank will also be studied.
• A medium-term ceasefire to build trust and halt unilateral actions, with a commitment to the two-state solution as part of a political resolution.
• Debris removal and temporary housing for displaced residents. The plan includes 20 temporary housing zones built with the participation of Egyptian and international companies. Reconstruction efforts will take three years.
• Palestinian elections within a year if conditions allow, reaffirming that Gaza is an inseparable part of Palestine.
• A unified Arab stance against any attempts to displace Palestinians, with legal and international measures to protect their rights and ensure ceasefire commitments.

The summit reaffirmed its rejection of any forced displacement, a policy US President Donald Trump previously suggested.

Egypt’s Gaza Reconstruction Plan in detail

Arab leaders met on Tuesday in Cairo for an emergency summit to discuss an Egyptian plan for Gaza’s reconstruction and governance following Israel’s genocide. The summit comes as a reaction to US President Donald Trump’s proposal that he intends to “take over” Gaza and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East” while forcibly displacing its Palestinian population.

Arab leaders endorsed the Egyptian plan. Hamas also welcomed the plan and emphasized its “commitment to support any efforts that serve the interests of our Palestinian people.”

Israel, however, rejected the plan, calling to encourage Trump’s Gaza propsal.

Washington also voiced its disapproval.

“The current proposal does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance,” White House spokesman Brian Hughes said when asked whether Trump would support the Arab leaders’ plan.

“President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas,” he added.

Here is everything you need to know about Egypt’s $53bn plan for the reconstruction of Gaza: (based on Al Jazeera, Reuters and Middle East Eye)

The Egyptian plan rejects the displacement of Palestinians and seeks to redevelop the enclave without depopulating it.

It states that the Palestinian Authority (PA) will oversee the management of the reconstruction through a “Gaza Administration Committee” for the first six months.

The committee will be composed of technocrats and non-partisan members, operating under the umbrella of the Ramallah-based Palestinian government.

This step aims to facilitate the full return of the PA to Gaza, the plan said.

Who will manage Gaza security?

According to the plan, Egypt and Jordan will train Palestinian police forces in preparation for their deployment in Gaza.

The plan, however, states that this effort may include other countries in the future to provide political and financial support.

Then it proposes that the United Nations Security Council should consider the idea of “an international presence” in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

This, the plan states, could involve the deployment of international protection or peacekeeping forces, as part of the rebuilding process.

Concerning armed Palestinian factions such as Hamas, the plan refers to their existence as a “key challenge” and stresses that their presence will only be resolved permanently if the root causes of armed resistance are addressed through a political process that upholds Palestinian rights.

The plan is premised on the need for the two-state solution, and that there is no alternative to it.

A medium-term truce should take place between Israel and the PA across the West Bank and Gaza, during which negotiations would be held and confidence-building measures determined, including the cessation of all unilateral actions by both sides.

Israel should cease all settlement activities, land annexation, home demolitions, military raids into Palestinian cities, and attempts to alter the legal and historical status of holy sites.

The plan foresees the end of all armed resistance activities if a peace agreement is reached to establish a Palestinian state and end Israeli occupation.

How will the plan be implemented?

First, temporary housing will be provided for displaced people in Gaza during the reconstruction process.

Designated areas within the Gaza Strip, with seven sites accommodating more than 1.5 million people.

Displaced Palestinians will be housed in temporary housing units, each accommodating an average of six individuals.

• Site 1: Rafah, with a capacity of approximately 213,000 people.
• Site 2: Khan Younis, with a capacity of approximately 223,000 people.
• Site 3: Deir al-Balah, with a capacity of approximately 184,000 people.
• Site 4: Gaza City, with a capacity of approximately 353,000 people.
• Site 5: North Gaza, with a capacity of approximately 197,000 people.
• Site 6: Gaza City, with a capacity of approximately 176,000 people.
• Site 7: Gaza City, with a capacity of approximately 176,000 people.

Timeline for implementation

Early recovery phase
Duration: Six months
Estimated Cost: $3bn
Key activities:

• Removal of rubble from the central axis (Salah al-Din Road) and other areas in Gaza, with debris transported toward coastal collection sites.
• Preparing this axis as a reconstruction corridor.
• Providing 200,000 prefabricated temporary housing units to accommodate 1.2 million people.
• Initiating repairs on 60,000 partially damaged housing units, aiming to accommodate 360,000 people once the restoration is completed in the next phase.

Reconstruction phases
Phase I:
Duration: 2 years
Estimated cost: $20bn
Key activities:

• Completion of rubble removal.
  Restoration of 60,000 partially damaged units.
• Construction of 200,000 new permanent housing units to accommodate 1.6 million people.
• Rehabilitation of 20,000 acres of agricultural land.
• Development of essential infrastructure, including electricity, telecommunications and service buildings.
• Establishment of water supply, fire-fighting systems and sanitation, with:

• 2 desalination plants
• 2 drinking and firefighting water reservoirs
• 2 irrigation water reservoirs
• 2 wastewater treatment plants

Phase II:
Duration: 2.5 years
Estimated cost: $30bn
Key activities:

Continued development of infrastructure and service facilities.

Construction of an additional 200,000 permanent housing units to accommodate 1.2 million people, increasing the total number of permanent housing units to 460,000, sufficient for 3 million residents.
Development of a 600-acre industrial zone.

Construction of:
A fishing port
A commercial seaport
Gaza International Airport
Implementation of the first phase of the coastal road (Al-Rasheed Road), extending 10 km.

How will it be funded?

According to the plan, the money will be sourced from a variety of international sources including the UN and international financial organisations as well as foreign and private sector investments.

The plan adds that for the sake of transparency and efficiency, an internationally supervised trust fund will be established to manage financial commitments and oversee expenditures.

Israel Rejects Egypt’s Gaza Reconstruction Plan, Hails Trump’s “Take Over” Plan

Israel rejected Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan, which opposes any forced displacement of Palestinians, a proposal put forward by US President Donald Trump, calling to encourage his “take over” Gaza plan.

Arab leaders met on Tuesday in Cairo for an emergency summit to discuss an Egyptian plan for Gaza’s reconstruction and governance following Israel’s genocide. The summit reaffirmed rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry claimed that the plan “continues to rely on the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA — both have repeatedly demonstrated corruption, support for terrorism, and failure in resolving the issue.”

“Now, with President Trump’s idea, there is an opportunity for the Gazans to have free choice based on their free will. This should be encouraged! Instead, Arab states have rejected this opportunity, without giving it a fair chance, and continue to level baseless accusations against Israel,” it added.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty slammed Israel’s rejection as “unacceptable,” describing its position as “stubborn and extremist.”

“There will be no peace neither to Israel or to the region” without establishing an independent Palestinian state in accordance with United Nations resolutions, he said. He added, “Israel violates all international law rules … the international law must be imposed.”

“No single state should be allowed to impose its will on the international community,” he said.

Washington also voiced its disapproval.

“The current proposal does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance,” White House spokesman Brian Hughes said when asked whether Trump would support the Arab leaders’ plan.

“President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas,” he added.

UN Chief Backs Egypt’s Initiative

UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed strong support for Egypt’s plan. Speaking at the summit, he welcomed the Arab Leaders’ initiative to mobilize support for Gaza’s reconstruction without displacing its people.

 He stressed the urgent need to prevent renewed fighting and reaffirmed that Gaza has no future outside a Palestinian state.

Guterres emphasized that Gaza’s recovery requires an end to Israeli occupation and adherence to international law. He stated that rebuilding Gaza is not just about infrastructure but about dignity, stability, and rejecting ethnic cleansing.

The UN chief called for immediate de-escalation. He also insisted that humanitarian aid to Gaza is a basic right, not a negotiation point.