The White House announced on Tuesday that it is open to hearing suggestions from Arab nations who have supported Egypt’s proposal to rebuild Gaza without the need for displacing its residents, a contrast to the plan put forth by U.S. President Donald Trump.
However, White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes emphasized that the U.S. remains firm in its stance that Hamas must no longer govern Gaza. “President Trump has been clear that Hamas cannot continue to govern Gaza,” Hughes stated, continuing, “While the president stands by his bold vision for a post-war Gaza, he welcomes input from our Arab partners in the region. It’s clear his proposals have driven the region to come to the table rather than allow this issue to devolve into further crisis.”
Hughes made these remarks after leaders from Arab countries endorsed the Egyptian plan to reconstruct Gaza, a project that is expected to cost around $53 billion.
At the end of a summit in Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi declared that the plan had been accepted. He explained that Egypt, in collaboration with Palestinian Arab leaders, had established an administrative body consisting of independent technocrats who would temporarily oversee Gaza’s governance and humanitarian aid efforts. This committee would also prepare for the eventual return of the Palestinian Authority (PA), he added.
For almost a month, Egypt, Jordan, and Gulf states have been holding talks about alternatives to Trump’s proposal, which they rejected because it includes the relocation of Gaza’s population to neighboring nations.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated that the U.S. is willing to consider new proposals from Arab countries regarding Gaza. “Hopefully they’re going to have a really good plan to present the president,” Rubio said, referring to the Arab nations.
He continued, “Right now the only plan — they don’t like it — but the only plan is the Trump plan. So if they’ve got a better plan, now’s the time to present it,” during an appearance on conservative radio with hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton.
Rubio further remarked, “All these countries say how much they care about the Palestinians, but none of them want to take any Palestinians. None of them have a history of doing anything for Gaza.”
{Matzav.com}