A Palestinian family in the Sheikh Ajlin neighborhood in the south of Gaza City break their fast on Wednesday on the rubble of their house demolished by Israeli forces. ALI JADALLAH/ANADOLU/GETTY IMAGES
Arab nations presented Cairo's Arab League-endorsed Gaza reconstruction plan to the United States' Middle East special envoy, spurring hopes that Washington may now treat it as the basis for rebuilding the Palestinian enclave, against an earlier widely opposed proposal from the White House.
Speculation that the Egyptian-led plan could gain ground is also being fanned by reports suggesting that US President Donald Trump may be backpedaling on his controversial proposal to depopulate Gaza and then rebuild through US auspices.
On Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the Palestine Liberation Organization met with visiting US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff in Doha, Qatar's capital.
According to a joint communique published by Qatar's foreign ministry the same day, the Arab foreign ministers agreed with the US envoy to "continue consultations and coordination on this plan as a basis for the reconstruction efforts in the sector".
The Gaza reconstruction plan, which had been approved by the Arab League during a summit in Cairo on March 4, is estimated to cost $53 billion. The plan appeared to have been a counter-response to Trump who suggested redeveloping Gaza through a US takeover and relocation of the enclave's residents to countries like Egypt and Jordan.
The Arab foreign ministers, at Wednesday's meeting with Witkoff, also emphasized the establishment of a cease-fire in Gaza, stressing the need for genuine efforts to achieve a "just and comprehensive peace" based on the two-state solution, and ensuring the fulfillment of the Palestinian people's aspirations for freedom and independence.
Meanwhile, in a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said "nobody was expelling any Palestinians" from Gaza.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem welcomed Trump's new position on the matter.
Remarks welcomed
"If US President Trump's statements represent a retreat from any idea of displacing the people of the Gaza Strip, they are welcomed," Qassem was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera, adding that they call for this position to be reinforced by obligating the Israeli side to implement all the terms of the cease-fire agreements.
In a statement posted on the X account of Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Tamim Khallaf on Thursday, Egypt "expresses its appreciation for the statements" made by Trump regarding the non-displacement of the residents of the Gaza Strip.
"Egypt affirms that this position reflects an understanding of the importance of avoiding further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the strip and the necessity of working toward finding just and sustainable solutions to the Palestinian cause," the statement said.
Earlier, Israeli media reported the US was pushing for a 60-day cease-fire in exchange for the release of 10 hostages. If unsuccessful, Washington could only work to free the US hostages, the Times of Israel reported.
Farhan Mujahid Chak, a visiting faculty at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, told China Daily that the Arab reconstruction plan for Gaza has "the unique signature of all the Arab States" and the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
"There is complete unity behind this reconstruction plan so it becomes difficult for the US to dismiss it so readily," said Chak.
The Arab plan is "presenting serious problems for the endgame of the Israeli government," he said, adding that it appears that the Trump administration may be rethinking its radical proposal in relation to Gaza, as it seeks "to appease some of the other partners in the region".
Chak also noted that the rift between the Israeli government and President Trump "seems to be widening". He said Trump has clear-cut ideas on his own legacies on US power now and in the future.
In another development, United Nations experts said in a report released on Thursday that Israel carried out "genocidal acts "against Palestinians by systematically destroying women's healthcare facilities during the conflict in Gaza.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the report's findings, saying they were biased and antisemitic.
Agencies contributed to this story.
