When President Trump suggested relocating the roughly two million residents of Gaza to Egypt and Jordan, Arab leaders strongly opposed the idea and quickly proposed their own plan. At an emergency Arab summit held in Cairo, they outlined a vision that involves rebuilding Gaza without displacing Palestinians, suppressing Hamas, and controlling the strip initially under a committee before transitioning to the Palestinian government in the West Bank. Their goal is to unite the territory with the West Bank and establish a Palestinian state.

However, there are several unaddressed questions and challenges regarding the plan. For instance, the Arab countries did not specify how they intend to disarm Hamas, which is a significant concern for both Israel and the United States. Additionally, the plan’s call for a Palestinian state is likely to face objections from Israel, which opposes the idea of a separate Palestinian nation.

Despite the Arab countries’ agreement on the need to disarm Hamas, there is no clear plan for how to accomplish this or who would enforce it. Hamas has also shown no willingness to give up its weapons. Furthermore, while the Arab countries are eager for reconstruction and development in Gaza, they are hesitant to provide significant funding due to concerns about the territory’s potential return to war.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/world/middleeast/gaza-arab-leaders-plan.html