Egypt will present its reconstruction plan at a key meeting in Riyadh this Thursday

Egypt’s proposal to rebuild Gaza is emerging as key to the Arab push for an alternative to Trump’s Gaza strategy, with the plan calling for a national Palestinian committee to govern Gaza without Hamas, international reconstruction efforts that don’t involve displacing Palestinians, and progress towards a two-state solution, three unnamed Egyptian sources told Reuters.

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The proposal also reportedly includes a buffer zone along Gaza’s border with Egypt, temporary living areas, and a potential reconstruction fund which may even be named the Trump Fund for Reconstruction. Jordan's King Abdullah reportedly told US President Donald Trump that the Arab proposal would be “cheaper and faster” than the American proposition, Reuters reported separately, citing unnamed European diplomatic sources.

Remember: Last week Egypt said it will propose “a comprehensive vision for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in a manner that ensures the Palestinian people remain in their homeland and aligns with their legitimate and legal rights.”

What do we know about the plan? Egypt’s proposal follows a structured three-phase approach, “the first involves early recovery, intensifying medical support, delivering aid, and providing temporary housing for displaced residents. The second phase includes debris removal, paving the way for the final and longest phase — reconstruction — which will require Arab and international funding,” Kelma Akhira’s Lamees El Hadidi said (watch, runtime: 13:14).

The clock is ticking ahead of the emergency Arab summit: “The next 12 days will be critical in shaping the Arab consensus before the emergency summit in Cairo on 27 February,” El Hadidi noted. A preparatory meeting in Riyadh will set the stage for the final proposal that will be presented during the summit.

“Egypt will present its reconstruction plan at a key meeting in Riyadh this Thursday,” El Hekaya’s Amr Adib said (watch, runtime: 22:02). “Two key elements of the plan stand out: excluding Hamas from governing Gaza and ensuring reconstruction happens without displacing the residents of Gaza.” However, he cautioned that two major roadblocks could stall progress — first, whether Hamas and the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah can agree on a new political framework, and second, the risk of Israeli actions disrupting the process.

Hamas open to negotiation? “Hamas is open to administrative and political arrangements for Gaza, even if it is not part of them,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem is quoted by Adib as saying (watch, runtime: 5:46). He added that Hamas has shown considerable flexibility in talks with Egyptian officials. Adib welcomed what he called Hamas’s “respectful cooperation” and its position prioritizing the public interest, noting that Egypt’s plan would see the group step away from Gaza’s governance in the near future.

Not without help: Saudi Arabia is spearheading Arab efforts to develop a plan for Gaza's future that can act as a counterweight to Trump's proposal for a US takeover of Gaza that would see the forced displacement of Palestinians. Proposals could include a GCC-led reconstruction fund and a move to distance Hamas, sources told the newswire.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is “taking the lead” in developing and presenting the Arab plan to Trump, the newswire said, citing an unnamed Jordanian official. By putting the Crown Prince at the forefront, the Arab bloc is looking to leverage the Saudi leadership’s strong relationship with the Trump administration, as well as its expanding business and political ties with Washington.

Gaza’s governance and security are major sticking points: Although Hamas is open to transferring governance to a national committee, it demands influence over its composition and rejects the deployment of foreign forces without its consent. Meanwhile, Israel has rejected any role for Hamas or the Palestinian Authority in governing Gaza or providing security there, while Arab countries and the US want to avoid sending their own troops. GCC states, which have financed reconstruction efforts in Gaza before, are hesitant to do so once more without assurances that Israel will not destroy what they rebuild.