Egypt Unveils Gaza Plan Ahead of Arab League Summit: Governance Mission to Replace Hamas
On March 4, 2025, Arab foreign ministers met in Cairo to finalize a counterproposal to Trump’s Gaza plan, focusing on rebuilding without displacing residents. The Egyptian strategy, prioritizing governance and humanitarian aid while sidelining Hamas, aims to gather support from Arab and international forces at the upcoming Arab League summit.
hassan benyoub 
Cairo, March 4, 2025 – On the eve of an emergency Arab League summit, Arab foreign ministers held a closed-door meeting in Cairo on Monday to finalize a counterproposal to U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to seize control of the Gaza Strip and displace its population. The Egyptian-drafted strategy, set to be presented to Arab leaders on Tuesday, aims to sideline Hamas with a temporary governance mission and international force, prioritizing reconstruction over relocation.
Closed-Door Talks Set the Stage
The “preparatory and consultative” session focused on an Arab plan to rebuild Gaza without uprooting its 2.4 million residents, a direct rebuke to Trump’s vision of turning the enclave into an “Eastern Mediterranean Riviera” by deporting Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan. An Arab League source, speaking anonymously to AFP, confirmed the plan would be submitted for approval at Tuesday’s summit.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spearheaded the effort, holding separate talks with counterparts from Jordan, Bahrain, Tunisia, Iraq, Yemen, and Palestine. Reuters revealed details of Egypt’s draft, obtained from an unnamed official involved in Gaza negotiations, highlighting its intent to marginalize Hamas and establish interim bodies backed by Arab, Islamic, and Western states.
Key Elements of Egypt’s Proposal
The Egyptian plan outlines a multi-pronged approach:
- Governance Mission: A “Good Governance Assistance Mission” would replace Hamas’s administration in Gaza for an unspecified interim period, overseeing humanitarian aid and kickstarting reconstruction. The draft stresses that “no significant international funding for Gaza’s rehabilitation and rebuilding will materialize if Hamas remains the dominant armed political force controlling local governance.”
- International Stabilization Force: Primarily composed of Arab nations, this force would assume security duties from Hamas, eventually paving the way for a new local police unit.
- Steering Committee: A coalition including major Arab states, Organization of Islamic Cooperation members, the U.S., UK, EU, and others would coordinate security and administrative efforts.
Notably, the plan leaves key questions unanswered: who will lead the governance mission, how it will dislodge Hamas if the group resists, and who will foot the estimated $53 billion reconstruction bill, as per UN figures. It also omits a central role for the Palestinian Authority, which lacks broad support in Gaza and the West Bank.
A Counter to Trump’s Vision
Trump’s proposal, which recently softened from enforcement to a “recommendation,” has united Arab states in opposition. Egypt’s draft explicitly rejects mass displacement, a stance echoed by Jordan and others who see it as a security threat. Abdelatty reiterated this at a Sunday press conference, confirming the plan’s readiness for summit approval.
Posts on X reflect regional sentiment, with users praising the Arab initiative as a “realistic alternative” to Trump’s “reckless scheme” ([X posts, March 3, 2025]). Hamas’s Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the group was unaware of the proposal, insisting, “The day after in Gaza is decided by Palestinians alone.”
What’s Next?
Tuesday’s summit will test Arab cohesion as leaders weigh Egypt’s plan against Trump’s lingering influence. With no timeline tying it to a permanent peace deal—post-October 7, 2023, war—the proposal’s success hinges on Hamas’s response and funding commitments.
