FILE - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
CAIRO – 21 February 2025: The Palestinian presidency has unveiled a plan for the future of Palestinian territories after the Israeli war in Gaza, which President Mahmoud Abbas will present at the emergency Arab summit in Cairo on March 4.
In a statement cited by the Palestinian official news agency WAFA on Thursday, the presidency emphasized that the vision ensures the reconstruction of Gaza and the West Bank following the destruction caused by Israeli forces, without displacing the Palestinian people from their lands.
“The plan includes elements that will preserve the legitimate rights of our Palestinian people, ensure their steadfastness and stability on their land, prevent attempts at displacement, and rebuild what the occupation has destroyed in Gaza and the West Bank,” the statement said.
This initiative aims to “implement international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative by ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is heading to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, state’s news agency MENA reported, as Riyadh prepares to host a mini Arab summit on the developments in Gaza on Friday#Egypt #Africa #MENAhttps://t.co/rC5hK1LYLk
— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) February 20, 2025
CONTROLLING GAZA, CROSSINGS
The plan seeks to empower “the Palestinian state and its legitimate government” to fulfill their duties and responsibilities in the Gaza Strip as well as in the West Bank, emphasizing the unity of Palestinian territory, its political system, and its geographical, political, and legal jurisdiction.
Furthermore, the plan calls for the complete Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.
The presidency stressed the necessity of assuming responsibility for all crossings, including the Karm Abu Salem and the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
According to the statement, the Palestinian Authority aims to operate the Rafah crossing in cooperation with Egypt and the European Union.
Amjad Shawa, Director of the Palestinian NGO Network, commended Egypt's substantial efforts in pressuring Israel to permit the entry of mobile homes into the Gaza Strip#Egypt #Africa #MENAhttps://t.co/nI7YBagCPV
— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) February 21, 2025
HOLDING ELECTIONS
The presidency also highlighted the need for general elections—both presidential and legislative—across Gaza and the West Bank within a year, contingent on the prevailing circumstances.
The Arab plan for Gaza's reconstruction seeks to replace a globally condemned initiative by US President Donald Trump, which aimed to "take over" Gaza and permanently displace its more than two million Palestinian residents to neighboring areas, particularly Egypt and Jordan.
Egypt, Jordan, the Arab League—which comprises all 22 Arab countries—and the European Union have all opposed this proposal, stressing that it undermines the internationally advocated two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said a three-year timeframe is a reasonable estimate for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Gaza, aiming to restore it to a condition better than it was before the Israeli war#Egypt #Africa #MENAhttps://t.co/FTb7uBTu1R
— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) February 20, 2025
ARAB COUNTERPLAN
Egypt is leading efforts to develop a multi-phase reconstruction plan as an alternative to Trump’s proposal.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly stated on Wednesday that a three-year timeline is a reasonable estimate for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Gaza, aiming to restore the enclave to a state better than it was before the war.
In mid-February, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the US is open to hearing from Arab countries about any alternative plan for Gaza but warned that any plan that leaves Hamas in place “is going to be a problem.”
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