Key takeaways from Egypt’s plan for Gaza

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Egypt’s plan for Gaza, a proposal discussed by Arab leaders at a summit in Cairo on Tuesday, outlines a five-year reconstruction process alongside a significant political transition in the governing of the Palestinian territory.

Here are the main takeaways of the draft plan seen by The National:

Phases of reconstruction

1. Immediate Response & Early Recovery (first six months)

• Debris removal and demining: Clearing unexploded ordnance and war debris to enable rebuilding efforts.
• Temporary housing: Establishment of seven temporary housing sites across Gaza to accommodate displaced people.
• Infrastructure repairs: Restoration of essential services like water, electricity, and transport networks.
• Emergency humanitarian aid: Provision of food, health care and emergency relief to the affected population.

2. First phase of reconstruction (two years, $20 billion)

• Housing restoration: Rehabilitation of 60,000 partially destroyed housing units.
• Permanent housing construction: Building 200,000 new housing units to accommodate 1.6 million people.
• Public services: Rebuilding hospitals, schools and essential infrastructure (water, sewerage, electricity).
• Agricultural and industrial recovery: Restoring 20,000 hectares of farmland and establishing key economic facilities.

3. Second phase of reconstruction (two and a half years, $30 billion)

• Expanding infrastructure: Continued construction of roads, public buildings and utilities.
• Finalising permanent housing: Bringing total completed units to 460,000 to house three million people.
• Economic development: Establishment of industrial zones, a fishing port, a commercial seaport and a new airport.
• Tourism and trade development: Enhancing regional economic integration through new trade agreements and tourism facilities.

Major political aspects

1. Political framework and governing

• Support for a two-state solution: The plan aligns with international law and aims to preserve the vision of an independent Palestinian state.
• Preserving Palestinian sovereignty: Ensuring reconstruction efforts lead to neither displacement nor loss of Palestinian land rights.
• Formation of a transitional governing committee: A temporary, technocratic body to oversee Gaza’s administration until the Palestinian Authority assumes full control.

2. Security and stability

• Maintaining the ceasefire: Co-ordination with Egypt, Qatar and the US to sustain the truce and prevent further conflict.
• Police and security force training: Egypt and Jordan will assist in training a professional Palestinian police force.
• International peacekeeping possibilities: Exploration of UN or multinational forces to maintain long-term stability.

3. International co-ordination and funding

• Establishing a reconstruction fund: A supervised international trust fund to ensure transparent and sustainable financing.
• Multilateral support: Engagement with donor countries, international organisations and development banks.
• Investment in Gaza’s economy: Encouraging private-sector involvement and foreign direct investment for long-term growth.
• International conference: Egypt will host a high-level ministerial conference in Cairo to mobilise global financial support.

4. Regional and diplomatic considerations

• Gaza with the West Bank: Avoiding any political or territorial separation that could undermine the future Palestinian state.
• Negotiations for long-term peace: Promotion of direct Israeli-Palestinian talks for a final peace agreement.
• Halting unilateral action: Calls for an end to Israeli settlement expansion and demolition in Palestinian territories.

The Transitional Governance Committee

1. Composition and leadership:

• Independent, non-partisan and technocratic, composed of Palestinian experts, administrators and professionals.
• Functions under the umbrella of the Palestinian government to ensure legitimacy.
• Egypt and international partners provide advisory and logistical support without direct interference.

2. Mandate and responsibilities:

• Managing reconstruction projects: Overseeing infrastructure rebuilding, housing programmes and economic recovery efforts.
• Ensuring public service delivery: Co-ordinating health care, education, electricity, water and sanitation services.
• Financial oversight: Managing the international reconstruction fund to ensure transparent allocation of aid.
• Security and law enforcement: Training and deploying a professional Palestinian security force with support from Egypt and Jordan.

3. Transition to the Palestinian Authority

• The committee will be temporary (six to 12 months) and gradually hand over control to the PA.
• The goal is institutional capacity-building to ensure the PA can govern effectively without factional divisions.
• A phased reintegration process will enable a smooth transition to full PA administrative and security control.

4. Preventing political fragmentation

• Preventing political or administrative isolation of Gaza from the occupied West Bank.
• Rejecting any separate governance models for Gaza, ensuring unity under a single Palestinian leadership.