Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced that Egypt has prepared a “comprehensive” plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip and ensure its residents remain in their homeland.
The announcement was made during a meeting between Sisi and World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder in Cairo on Sunday. The talks discussed regional stability, Egypt’s role in securing a ceasefire in Gaza, and efforts to facilitate humanitarian aid, prisoner exchanges and reconstruction.
According to an official statement, Sisi emphesized the urgency of rebuilding Gaza and preventing the displacement of its people. He also urged all parties to act responsibly to maintain the ceasefire and warned that any escalation would have far-reaching consequences.
The Egyptian leader reiterated that the only path to lasting peace is the establishment of a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
After the meeting, Lauder acknowledged Egypt’s key role in promoting peace in the Middle East and expressed a willingness to continue consultations with Cairo on regional issues.
The talks came as Egypt and other countries rejected calls to resettle Gaza’s population elsewhere, a proposal put forward by former US President Donald Trump, who had suggested turning the area into a luxury beach resort. The plan was widely condemned as an attempt at ethnic cleansing.
Meanwhile, a ceasefire agreement that came into effect on January 19 halted Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza, which has killed an estimated 48,300 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left the area in ruins.