Egypt’s alternative to Trump’s Gaza plan aims to sideline Hamas: Report
The Egypt-led plan for Gaza’s reconstruction will sideline Hamas, replacing the Palestinian group with interim bodies controlled by Arab, Muslim and Western states, the Reuters news agency reports, citing a draft copy of the proposal.
Cairo’s plan – an alternative to Trump’s proposal to “take over” and ethnically cleanse the enclave of its Palestinian population – is due to be presented at the Arab League summit in the Egyptian capital today.
It stipulates that a Governance Assistance Mission would replace Gaza’s Hamas-run government for an unspecified interim period.
The body would be responsible for humanitarian aid and for kick-starting reconstruction of the enclave.
According to Reuters, the proposal doesn’t address who will foot the bill for Gaza’s reconstruction, nor other crucial details such as how it plans to sideline Hamas.
“There will be no major international funding for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Gaza if Hamas remains the dominant and armed political element on the ground controlling local governance,” according to a preamble in the draft.
The proposal also fails to specify whether it would be implemented before or after any permanent peace deal to end Israel’s war on Gaza had been reached.
So not much of a plan then...
UN welcomes launch of Berlin Initiative
Antonio Guterres has hailed the launch of the initiative led by former peace negotiators Yossi Beilin and Hiba Husseini.
In a statement, Guterres said the world must end this terrible war and lay the foundations for lasting peace, “one that ensures security for Israel, dignity and self-determination for the Palestinian people, and stability for the entire region”.
This requires a clear political framework for Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction, he said.
“It requires immediate and irreversible steps towards a two-State solution — with Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, unified under a legitimate Palestinian authority, accepted and supported by the Palestinian people. And it requires putting an end to occupation, settlement expansion and threats of annexation.”
US senator decries Israeli aid blockade
In a brief post on X, responding to Israel blocking the entry of all goods and supplies into Gaza, Senator Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, simply said:
“This is a violation of the Geneva Conventions.”
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