Muslim Nations Back Alternative to Trump's Gaza Plan

The Egyptian-crafted alternative, which aims to rebuild Gaza under the Palestinian Authority’s future administration, has now been adopted as an Arab-Islamic initiative. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty expressed optimism about the plan, calling it a "very positive" step, with Sudanese Foreign Minister also supporting the move.

Trump’s suggestion to "take over" Gaza and relocate its Palestinian inhabitants to Egypt or Jordan sparked global outrage. At the Arab League summit in Cairo, leaders established a trust fund to finance Gaza’s reconstruction and called on the international community to back it.

Abdelatty added that efforts are underway to gain international support for the plan, with hopes that it will be adopted by the European Union and countries like Japan, Russia, and China. "We are in contact with all parties, including the U.S.," he said.

However, the counter-proposal does not include a role for Hamas, which controls Gaza, and has been rejected by both the U.S. and Israel. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated that the plan "does not meet expectations." On the other hand, Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, referred to it as a "good-faith first step" from Egypt.

Political analyst Rabha Seif Allam of the Al-Ahram Center in Cairo said Egypt is trying to build a broad coalition opposing the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

Trump’s plan has already united Arab nations in opposition, with Saudi Arabia hosting a summit to discuss alternatives.

Additionally, the OIC readmitted Syria, which had been suspended in 2012 due to the civil war under President Bashar al-Assad. A Syrian foreign ministry statement hailed the decision as a significant step toward Syria’s reintegration into the regional and international communities.