US rejects Gaza reconstruction plan proposed by Arab leaders 

The Trump administration has rejected a long-awaited plan for the reconstruction of Gaza endorsed by Arab leaders.

Arab leaders unanimously agreed on a five-year $53bn plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing Palestinians.

The Trump administration said, “President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas. We look forward to further talks to bring peace and prosperity to the region.” 

Israel, which is maintaining a blockade on all food, medicine and aid into Gaza, slams the proposal, while the White House says Trump stands by his vision for the Strip.

Hamas says it appreciates the Egypt-led proposal and welcomes calls to hold legislative and presidential elections as soon as possible.

“The current proposal does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance,” US National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement Tuesday night. 

Speaking in Cairo, PA President Mahmoud Abbas pledged that general elections will be held in the West Bank, Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem for the first time in nearly two decades “if circumstances are suitable.” 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still refuses to say what he envisions for Gaza’s post-war future, except to say that he endorses Trump’s plan for “a different Gaza.” And he thinks neither the PA nor Hamas should govern Gaza. 

The $53 billion proposal by Arab nations calls for rebuilding Gaza by 2030. The first phase calls for starting the removal of unexploded ordnance and clearing more than 50 million tons of rubble left by Israel’s bombardment and military offensives.