US Rejects Arab League's Plan for Gaza: 'Trump Stands by His Vision'

Wednesday, 5 March 2025 | The United States on Wednesday rejected the Arab plan for the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip, with an official saying it does not align with the current situation in the enclave.

"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," White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes said late on Tuesday. "President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas."

Hughes's comments came hours after the Arab League adopted the plan for Gaza proposed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for the reconstruction of Gaza at the cost of [US] $53 billion, which would avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave, in contrast to Trump's vision for a Riviera in the Strip. "There will be no real peace without the establishment of a Palestinian state," Sisi said.

Sisi said Egypt had worked in cooperation with Palestinians on creating an administrative committee of independent, professional Palestinian technocrats entrusted with the governance of Gaza after the end of the Israel-Gaza war.

Jordan’s King Abdullah, whose country was mentioned in Trump’s proposal as a possible recipient of Gaza’s displaced residents, declared at the summit: "We support the Egyptian plan. We reject any plan to displace the Palestinians and endorse the initiative for Gaza’s reconstruction."

The king added, "We must formulate a clear, implementable vision for Gaza’s administration and its connection to the West Bank [Judea and Samaria]. The two-state solution is the only path that guarantees the establishment of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital. We reject Israel’s decision to block humanitarian aid to Gaza."

According to reports on the Egyptian plan, "a temporary ceasefire will be established, during which confidence-building measures will be implemented, followed by direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians."

The Gaza reconstruction plan, as published by Al-Hadath, requires [US] $38 billion, with most funds allocated to rebuilding housing. Temporary housing will be provided in several cities during the reconstruction process, which will take place in two phases — the first lasting two years and the second two and a half years.