Britain, France, Germany and Italy on Saturday hailed a plan by Muslim-majority Arab nations to rebuild Gaza, calling it a “realistic path.” “The Arab plan, which has been opposed by US President Donald Trump to seize control of Gaza and displace its residents, promises a rapid and lasting improvement in the devastated living conditions of Palestinians living in Gaza if implemented,” the foreign ministers of the four countries said in a joint statement.
The 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) formally endorsed the plan put forward by the Arab League at an emergency meeting in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The Egyptian-drafted plan offers an alternative to Trump’s widely condemned annexation and proposes rebuilding Gaza under a future Palestinian Authority administration.
Unlike Trump’s plan, the Arab plan aims to rebuild the territory without displacing the 2.4 million residents who have suffered from 17 months of war. The OIC, which represents the Muslim world, issued a statement urging the international community and international and regional financial institutions to provide the necessary support for the plan.
The Egyptian proposal, which did not mention Hamas’ role in controlling Gaza, has been rejected by both the United States and Israel, but European foreign ministers said it offered a realistic path for Gaza’s reconstruction. “We are clear that Hamas should not rule Gaza and should not pose a threat to Israel,” the statement said.
“We commend the serious efforts of all stakeholders and the important proposal submitted by the Arab countries jointly for this reconstruction and reconstruction plan. ” The European leaders said, “We are committed to working with the Arab Initiative, the Palestinians and Israel to address these issues together.”
