Muslim nations, European leaders back Arab proposal for Gaza

Following Israel's devastating 15-month war on the Gaza Strip, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several European countries have expressed support for the recently unveiled Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza. The plan aims to rebuild the heavily damaged Gaza Strip and improve the dire living conditions of the local Palestinian residents.

The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, in a joint statement released on Saturday, voiced their support for the $53 billion Gaza reconstruction plan. The statement emphasized that the plan provides a realistic and viable path for the reconstruction of Gaza, and if implemented, would rapidly and sustainably improve the catastrophic living conditions of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

The statement also added that Hamas "can no longer govern Gaza or pose a threat to Israel," and that the four countries "support the Palestinian Authority playing a central role and implementing its reform agenda." The plan was drafted by Egypt and adopted by Arab leaders at the Arab League summit held in Cairo this month.

Previously, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, comprised of 57 member states, also formally adopted the plan at an emergency meeting held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Representing the Muslim world, the organization urged "the international community and international and regional financing institutions to swiftly provide the necessary support for the plan."

This Arab-backed plan is seen as a counter-proposal to the suggestion made by U.S. President Trump to "de-populate" the Gaza Strip, with Trump's suggestion being to "develop" the area under U.S. control, a move some have termed ethnic cleansing. The Arab plan includes three main phases: interim measures, reconstruction, and governance. The first phase will last approximately six months, while the next two phases will be completed within four to five years. The goal is to rebuild Gaza, maintain peace and security, and re-establish the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority in the area.

However, the Arab plan has already been met with criticism and rejection from the United States and Israel. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tami Bruce told reporters on Thursday that the plan "does not meet" Washington's "expectations." But Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, gave a more positive response, calling it "a sincere first step by the Egyptians."