Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Mustafa welcomed the outcomes of the emergency Arab summit in Cairo, which adopted a unified Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza without the displacement of its residents.
In exclusive remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Mustafa described the Cairo summit as “the strongest response to calls for the forced displacement of Palestinians,” emphasizing that “the world has heard the Arab voice.”
The emergency Arab summit, held on Tuesday, approved Egypt’s proposed Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of Gaza as a comprehensive Arab initiative. The summit’s final statement reaffirmed an unequivocal rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians.
The plan aims to facilitate early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza over a five-year period, with an estimated budget of $53 billion. It also includes a new political and security framework for the territory, starting with the formation of a non-partisan technocratic committee under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority.
Mustafa stressed that implementing the reconstruction plan would only be possible once a permanent ceasefire is secured.
Addressing the impact of Arab unity on countering displacement efforts, Mustafa said the summit’s resolutions were “the strongest rejection” of such plans, adding that Arab nations “have done everything in their power” to support the Palestinian people.
The idea of displacing Palestinians from Gaza has been floated by former US President Donald Trump and some Israeli officials but has been met with strong Arab opposition.
The final statement of the Cairo summit reaffirmed the Arab world’s stance, citing the Bahrain Declaration of May 16, 2024, which firmly rejected any form of forced Palestinian displacement under any pretext.
Mustafa described the emergency summit as a “success on all fronts”.
The summit’s final statement also called for stronger cooperation with international and regional powers, including the United States, to achieve comprehensive peace and a just resolution to the Palestinian cause based on a two-state solution.
The Palestinian Authority is now seeking broader Islamic and international support for the reconstruction plan. Speaking at a joint press conference with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit after the summit, Mustafa expressed hope that the plan would gain approval within the Islamic framework before being presented for European and American backing. He warned that failure to implement the plan would pose serious risks to the Palestinian cause.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty announced that Jeddah would host an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers on Friday to endorse the Gaza reconstruction plan, making it both an Arab and Islamic initiative.
Mustafa stressed that implementing the Arab plan would help unify Palestinian territories under a single governing authority. He described the reconstruction effort as a step toward establishing an independent Palestinian state, noting that its success would require a clearly defined political and security framework for Gaza. Arab nations and international institutions, he added, would play a key role in creating the necessary conditions for its implementation.
