Arab Leaders Approve Gaza Reconstruction Plan at Cairo Summit
On Tuesday, several Arab leaders gathered in Cairo, to discuss the Egyptian-led reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip. The summit was attended by the Presidents of Iraq, Mauritania, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, and Egypt, as well as the King of Bahrain, the Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia.
The summit concluded with the Arab leaders adopting the Egyptian plan as the primary framework for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, while firmly rejecting the displacement of the Palestinian people from Gaza. President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, commented on the outcome of the summit
"Adopting our plan guarantees the Palestinian people their right to rebuild their homeland and remain on their land," stressing that "the brutal war on the Gaza Strip aimed to destroy livelihoods and forced the people of Gaza to choose between annihilation and displacement."
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
Additionally, Hamas has commented on the outcome of the summit in an official statement, expressing appreciation for the Arab leaders' support for the Palestinian cause and their stance on the reconstruction of Gaza. They emphasized the importance of maintaining Palestinian rights and sovereignty, while also highlighting the continued struggle against Israeli occupation.
"We are looking for a proactive Arab role that ends the humanitarian tragedy created by the occupation in the Gaza Strip."
Hamas
This summit coincides with Israel escalating its military operations in the West Bank by sending tanks to the city of Jenin for the first time since 2002 and halting aid from entering the Gaza Strip for the last three days. Furthermore, Israeli Minister of Energy Eli Cohen stated that Netanyahu will accept his request to cut electricity and water supplies from Israel to the Gaza Strip, which makes the implementation of the Egyptian plan much more difficult and complicated.