Trump’s Gaza takeover ‘plan’ puts Egypt in a tough spot

Jordan's King Abdullah II and US President Donald Trump concluded their meeting on Tuesday, with all parties anxiously watching the future direction of the Gaza Strip. The central issue of the meeting was Trump's proposal for the United States to "take over" the Gaza Strip and expel Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan. This proposal has aroused widespread attention and concern from the international community.

King Abdullah stated in an impromptu press conference that Arab countries, including Egypt, would develop an alternative plan to rebuild Gaza and avoid ethnic cleansing. Egypt has already scheduled an emergency Arab summit on the Gaza issue for February 27. Hours later, Egypt issued a statement confirming that it would put forward a "comprehensive vision for the reconstruction of Gaza while ensuring that Palestinians remain on their land" and reiterated its commitment to working with the United States to reach a "just solution to the Palestinian issue."

Jacob Erickson, a lecturer in post-war reconstruction studies at York University, said, "It is difficult to determine how serious Trump is about the US takeover of Gaza." He added, "However, if Trump insists, it could put Egypt in a difficult position," referring to Trump's threat to freeze aid to Egypt if it does not cooperate. Erickson believes this could have a significant impact as Egypt continues to face growing economic challenges related to debt and inflation.

Since 1946, the United States has provided Egypt with more than $85 billion in bilateral foreign aid, including military and economic assistance. In 2023, Egypt was the fifth largest recipient of US foreign aid, receiving $1.45 billion, 85% of which went to the military sector. Egyptian journalist Hossam El-Hamalawy said that the aid received by Cairo "shows that Egypt is a close ally and partner of Washington" and marks strong political support from Washington. However, money is not everything; internal political stability is equally crucial for the survival of the Egyptian government, and allowing the expulsion of Palestinians could undermine this stability.

El-Hamalawy added, "Generations of Egyptian youth have seen Palestine as their gateway into politics." Furthermore, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is "very concerned about a repeat of the Beirut scenario, where Palestinian resistance somehow provided justification for Israel to enter Lebanon and occupy parts of its territory for a long time," referring to Israeli attacks on Lebanon and its occupation of its territory, including today. It has been reported that Sisi had indicated he would not attend any talks at the White House until Trump stopped talking about forcibly displacing Palestinians.

Political analyst Abdullah Nassef believes Cairo will have to make some compromises in the proposal, stating, "Any drastic action could jeopardize important agreements." Nassef suggested, "Egypt could, like Jordan, propose to receive the injured and their families, albeit on a larger scale and in greater numbers than Jordan proposed." King Abdullah said on Tuesday that Jordan could receive 2,000 sick children "immediately." Egypt has been treating injured Palestinians in its hospitals since the start of the war and may continue to do so in larger numbers once the crossing points are open.

Researcher Jacob Erickson stated that while Egypt may find it difficult to make a significant economic contribution to the reconstruction of Gaza, Egyptian officials "will undoubtedly continue to offer their services as mediators and political partners." Israel has stated that it will not compensate Palestinians or help pay for repairing the damage it has caused in Gaza. Instead, it will be up to regional countries and the international community to implement any plans put forward by Egypt and Jordan. El-Hamalawy said: "It can be speculated that (this plan) will certainly involve raising large amounts of cash and funds from the Gulf region to accelerate the reconstruction process for Palestinians without displacing them."

Egyptian construction companies appear ready to cooperate with the international community to rebuild Gaza. For example, real estate and construction giant Hisham Talaat Moustafa said in a television interview on February 9 that he had been developing a reconstruction plan that would require the participation of about 40 to 50 construction companies from Egypt and other countries. Nassef said: "Egypt can contribute to the reconstruction efforts while guaranteeing that Gazans do not need to be forced to leave." He added: "They don't have to leave if Israel continues to prevent caravans and tents from entering the Gaza Strip." He agreed with El-Hamalawy that due to Egypt's economic problems, Egypt's efforts must be funded by the Gulf states.

Gulf countries have provided significant funding for aid arriving in the Gaza Strip in the past few months. The Gulf Cooperation Council announced in December that since October 2023, its member states—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—have collectively provided $650 million in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. The reconstruction of Gaza, where the vast majority of buildings and infrastructure have been destroyed by Israel, will cost much more. But with Trump's Gaza displacement plan complicating matters, and a ceasefire agreement in Gaza threatened over the past week, Arab countries face pressure to respond.