Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stated on Tuesday that an Arab League summit in Cairo had formally endorsed an Egyptian-initiated initiative to rebuild Gaza. The proposal stands as a straight repudiation of former US President Donald Trump’s scandalous vision to remake the war-ravaged enclave as a haven for luxury tourism at the expense of relocating its Palestinian residents.
Trump’s initial plan, in which he recommended the US “take over” Gaza and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” has been met with scathing rebuke from Palestinians, Arab countries, and international allies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though, has spoken highly in favor of the suggestion, labeling it “visionary and innovative.
Even after Netanyahu’s approval, Arab leaders during the summit reiterated their denial of any displacement of Gazans, instead continuing with Egypt’s reconstruction plan to bring back stability and ensure that Palestinians stay in their homeland.