Egypt is working on a plan to reconstruct the Gaza Strip without relocating the residents to other countries.
According to a report by the Egyptian state-run Al-Ahram newspaper, the plan, which seeks to refute that of US President Donald Trump, will temporarily relocate Gazans to “secure areas” in the strip while Egyptian and other foreign construction firms rebuild Gaza.
The Associated Press cited two Egyptian officials who noted that the plan envisions the creation of a "Palestinian administration," unaligned with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, to run the Strip and oversee reconstruction efforts.
The new administration would include a police force mostly consisting of former Palestinian Authority policemen who remained in Gaza after Hamas took over the strip in 2007, with reinforcement from Egyptian- and Western-trained forces.
According to the report, the Egyptian plan calls for a three-phase reconstruction process that will take up to five years without removing Palestinians from Gaza.
Over twenty Egyptian and international companies will participate in clearing debris and restoring the strip’s infrastructure. Officials stated that this reconstruction effort would create tens of thousands of jobs for the people of Gaza.
The Egyptian plan seeks to find an alternative to that proposed by US President Donald Trump, which includes the indefinite relocation of Gazans to other countries and the seizure of the strip by the US. While Trump's plan garnered support from US officials, Israel, most Israelis, and even many Gazans, other countries, including the top candidates to receive the relocated Gazans, have rejected it.
Al-Ahram said the Egyptian proposal is designed to “refute American President Trump’s logic” and counter “any other visions or plans that aim to change the geographic and demographic structure of Gaza Strip.”