Gaza’s infrastructure has been mostly destroyed by Israel’s war, prompting Arab states to propose a $53 billion fund to help rebuild it [Getty/file photo]
Israel has rejected a plan put forward by Arab states for the reconstruction of the devastated Gaza Strip on Tuesday, presented as an alternative to US President Donald Trump’s widely condemned proposalto take over the territory and displace its people.
Shortly after a summit of Arab leaders in Cairo, the Israeli foreign ministry said the reconstruction plan “failed to address the realities” of the situation following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, which led to Israel’s 15-month-long war in the territory, killing over 60,000 Palestinians.Â
“Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack, which resulted in thousands of Israeli deaths and hundreds of kidnappings, is not mentioned, nor is there any condemnation of this murderous terrorist entity,” the foreign ministry said.
The US, Israel’s closest ally, also rejected the plan, saying the proposal “does not address the reality that Gaza is currently inhabitable and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnances”.
“President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas”, National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes told The Times of Israel.
“We look forward to further talks to bring peace and prosperity to the region,” he added in his statement.
Tuesday’s Arab League summit in Cairo – which came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his support for Trump’s proposal – offered an alternative with the adoption of a “comprehensive Arab plan”.
It announced the establishment of a trust fund to pay for the territory’s reconstruction, and urged the international community to back it.
“All these efforts are proceeding in parallel with the launch of a political track” towards Palestinian statehood, it added, an ambition that Israeli leaders have opposed.
The proposal would see a Gaza reconstruction plan which would cost $53 billion. It also seeks to avoid displacing Palestinians, which has been called forb y Trump and endorsed by Israel.
The summit also called on Palestinian representation to be unified under the PLO, an umbrella group that is the dominant political force within the Palestinian Authority – and which excludes Hamas.
Hamas, however, called for providing the means to ensure the plan’s success and considered the summit a “step forward” for Arab and Islamic support behind the Palestinian cause.
The Palestinian group also urged Arab leaders to compel Israel to commit to its ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
“We value the Arab stance rejecting the attempts to displace our people,” Hamas added.
Israel also criticised the statement’s reliance on the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA, which it said had previously “demonstrated corruption and support for terrorism”. Israel has long made unproven accusations that UNRWA staff were working with Hamas, using this as a justification to shut down the UN agency’s operations.
The Arab statement condemned Israel’s latest decision to halt the entry of aid into Gaza, also for an end to Israel’s attack in the West Bank and affirmed the vital role of UNRWA in Gaza and the West Bank.
