KSA at forefront of Arab alternative for Gaza post-war plan: Reuters

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
14 Feb 2025 15:35
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Arab nations, led by Saudi Arabia, continue rejecting the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, focusing efforts on forming an alternative plan that preserves Palestinian statehood.

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Cars and pedestrians move along a road amid widespread destruction caused by the Israeli war in Gaza City's Jabalia refugee camp, on February 7, 2025. (AP)

Saudi Arabia is leading urgent Arab efforts to formulate a plan for Gaza’s future in response to US President Donald Trump’s scheme of a "Middle East Riviera" devoid of its Palestinian population, according to ten sources.

Draft proposals will be discussed at a meeting in Riyadh this month, bringing together Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. Five sources indicated that the plans may include a Gulf-led reconstruction fund and an agreement to allegedly marginalize Hamas.

Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies were shocked by Trump's proposal to remove Palestinians from Gaza and relocate them primarily to Jordan and Egypt—an idea swiftly rejected by both Cairo and Amman and widely viewed across the region as highly destabilizing.

Sources said Riyadh’s frustration was further heightened because the plan undermined the kingdom’s demand for a clear roadmap to Palestinian statehood as a prerequisite for normalizing ties with "Israel". This condition was also key to advancing a major military agreement between Saudi Arabia and Washington, aimed at strengthening the kingdom’s defenses against Iran.

Egypt takes over, MBS leads

Reuters interviewed 15 sources across Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and other locations to piece together the fast-paced Arab efforts to consolidate existing proposals into a unified plan they could present to the US president—potentially even branding it as a "Trump plan" to secure his approval.

According to one Arab government source, at least four proposals had already been drafted for Gaza’s future, with an Egyptian plan now taking center stage in the Arab push for an alternative to Trump’s plot.

Egypt’s proposal, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, aims to keep Palestinians in Gaza and establish a technocratic administration drawn from within the enclave. Security would be provided by Palestinians trained by Arab forces. Cairo is also seeking funding commitments from regional partners and plans to host a donor conference.

The reconstruction process, expected to take up to five years, would be implemented in stages—starting with restoring essential services and providing emergency shelter.

While the Arab nations finalize the plan, it appears that Saudi's role is key, with a Jordanian official saying Mohammad bin Salman has emerged as the lead.