The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has followed several European countries in supporting a recently unveiled Arab initiative for rebuilding Gaza, which was destroyed during 15 months of war.
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, British, German, Italian, and French foreign ministers endorsed the Gaza reconstruction plan, estimated at $53 billion. They reasserted that the scheme proposes a viable framework to improve the deplorable living condition of Palestinians in Gaza, providing rapid and sustainable developments if well implemented.
The statement further highlighted the necessity of Hamas relinquishing control over Gaza and the need to cease intimidating Israel. The four European nations reiterated their support for the Palestinian Authority, urging the Palestinian Authority to maintain its central role and reform agenda within the region.
Formulated by Egypt and endorsed by Arab leaders at a recent Cairo Arab League summit, the plan was formally adopted by the OIC at an emergency session in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The OIC, which consists of 57 member countries of the Islamic world, has urged the international community and regional financial institutions to provide timely funding for the project.
This Arab-backed suggestion is regarded as a reaction to previous United States President Trump’s controversial suggestion to evacuate the Gaza Strip for development under United States administration, which has been criticized as ethnic cleansing.
The reconstruction plan has three principal phases: interim phases, reconstruction phases, and governing phases. The initial phase would last six months, but the subsequent two phases would continue over a cumulative duration of four to five years. The most broad objective is to rebuild Gaza, reestablish stability and security, and restart the governing authority of the Palestinian Authority.
Although it is supported by the OIC and European nations, the plan has been rejected and criticized by Israel and the U.S. The U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated that the plan “does not meet the expectations” of Washington. Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was more optimistic, though, and described it as a “good-faith first step from the Egyptians.”
