Truce in doldrums, Arab leaders to counter Donald Trump’s Gaza plan
Cairo: Arab leaders meeting in Cairo on Tuesday are set to endorse a counterproposal to US President Donald Trump’s call for the Gaza Strip to be depopulated and transformed into a beach destination, even as the continuation of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire is uncertain.
The summit hosted by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is expected to include the leaders of regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whose support is crucial for any postwar plan. Israel has meanwhile embraced what it says is an alternative US proposal for the ceasefire itself and the release of hostages taken in Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war.
It has blocked the entry of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza to try to get Hamas to accept the new proposal and has warned of additional consequences, raising fears of a return to war.
The suspension of aid drew widespread criticism, with human rights groups saying it violated Israel’s obligations as an occupying power under international law.
The new plan would require Hamas to release half its remaining hostages — the militant group’s main bargaining chip — in exchange for a ceasefire extension and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Israel made no mention of releasing more Palestinian prisoners — a key component of the first phase.
Egypt has developed a postwar plan in which Palestinians would be relocated to safe areas inside Gaza equipped with mobile homes while its cities are rebuilt. Hamas would cede power to an interim administration of political independents until a reformed Palestinian Authority can assume control.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Western-backed authority and an opponent of Hamas, was attending the summit.
Israel has ruled out any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza and, along with the United States, has demanded Hamas’ disarmament. Hamas, which does not accept Israel’s existence, has said it is willing to cede power in Gaza to other Palestinians but will not give up its arms until there is a Palestinian state. A draft statement endorsing the plan called for a “permanent and just solution” for the Palestinian cause and for the United Nations Security Council to deploy international peacekeepers in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Meanwhile, Palestinian health officials say 29 children have been evacuated from the Gaza Strip to Jordan for medical treatment. Jordan’s King Abdullah II offered to take in 2,000 children for medical treatment during a White House meeting with Trump last month. The offer came after Trump suggested Jordan and Egypt accept large numbers of Palestinian refugees
from Gaza.
