Egypt is developing a plan to rebuild Gaza, countering Trump's call to depopulate the territory

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Egypt is developing a plan to rebuild Gaza, countering Trump’s call to depopulate the territory

By SAMY MAGDY
Updated 12:21 PM EST, February 17, 2025

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt is developing a plan to rebuild Gaza without forcing Palestinians out of the strip in a counter to President Donald Trump’s proposal to depopulate the territory so the U.S. can take it over.

Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram newspaper said the proposal calls for establishing “secure areas” within Gaza where Palestinians can live initially while Egyptian and international construction firms remove and rehabilitate the strip’s infrastructure.

Egyptian officials have been discussing the plan with European diplomats as well as with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, according to two Egyptian officials and Arab and Western diplomats. They are also discussing ways to fund the reconstruction, including an international conference on Gaza reconstruction, said one of the Egyptian officials and an Arab diplomat.

The officials and diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because the proposal is still being negotiated.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/egypt-gaza-reconstruction-plan-76941b11e6746078da113e36605ec462