International support for an Arab counterproposal to US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza has gained momentum. Unlike Trump’s plan, which aimed to take over Gaza and displace its residents, the Arab proposal focuses on rebuilding the territory without displacing its 2.4 million inhabitants. This comes after more than 15 months of devastating conflict, which ended with a fragile ceasefire on January 19.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), comprising 57 member states, formally adopted the counterproposal at an emergency meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This move followed the Arab League’s ratification of the plan at a summit in Cairo. The OIC urged the international community and funding institutions to provide necessary support for the early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.
European governments, including Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, have also endorsed the plan. In a joint statement, their foreign ministers hailed it as a “realistic path” for rebuilding Gaza without uprooting its Palestinian inhabitants. They welcomed the proposal for Gaza to return to the control of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, emphasizing that Hamas should neither govern Gaza nor pose a threat to Israel.
However, the plan has faced resistance from Israel and the United States. While the US State Department expressed that the proposal does not meet Washington’s expectations, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, viewed it as a “good-faith first step” from the Egyptians. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty hopes to gain broader international support, including from the US, and aims for the plan to be adopted by the European Union and other global parties.
The international community’s backing of the Arab proposal highlights a significant divergence from Trump’s initial plan, which sparked global outrage by suggesting the displacement of Gaza’s residents to Egypt or Jordan. The Arab initiative seeks to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza while maintaining the region’s political stability.
