Donald Trump and Binyamin Netanyahu rejected the Arab states’ alternative plan for the reconstruction of Gaza
Donald Trump has rejected the Arab regimes’ plan for the reconstruction of Gaza, doubling down on his call for ethnic cleansing.
His move will deepen the crisis for United States imperialism and the Arab states in the Middle East.
Trump announced “the US will take over the Gaza Strip” and “resettle” Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan in February.
The Arab states called a summit in response. Abdel Fatah el-Sisi’s dictatorship in Egypt and King Adullah II in Jordan fear that Trump’s plan would spark revolt in the region against the US, Israel—and them.
That Summit, which took place in Cairo on Tuesday, saw Egypt put forward a £41 billion reconstruction plan for Gaza in three phases.
That final phase would see a “management committee under the umbrella” of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and then elections.
Palestinian resistance group Hamas endorsed the plan. “We look forward to an effective Arab role that ends the humanitarian tragedy created by the occupation in the Gaza Strip—and thwarts the occupation’s plans to displace Palestinians,” it said.
But Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has ruled out Hamas or the PA running Gaza.
On Tuesday, foreign minister Gideon Saar said that Israel demands the “complete disarmament” of Hamas.
Hamas said it could relinquish control of Gaza, but laying down arms to defend Palestinians is a “red line” it refuses to cross.
Netanyahu wanted “absolute victory” in Gaza through the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and the eradication of Hamas.
But, despite the terror state’s destruction, murder and barbarism, he has failed. On Wednesday, Israeli forces chief of staff Herzi Halevi stepped down and was replaced by Eyal Zamir.
“Hamas has not yet been defeated,” Zamir said upon his appointment. “This is a war for survival. We will continue the campaign to bring our hostages home and to achieve decisive victory.”
Israel has shown that it’s itching to return to genocide with its violations of the ceasefire agreement.
The plan highlights the relationship between US imperialism and the Arab regimes.
Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have all refused to endorse any plan that includes the displacement of Palestinians. That’s not because they stand with the Palestinian people or support the cause of liberation.
In Egypt, el-Sisi has been repressing Palestine solidarity, arresting 129 activists since October 2023.
And in Jordan, King Abdullah II hosts US forces and helped shoot down Iranian missiles to protect Israel last year.
But mass displacement means those Arab regimes will be forced to take in millions of Palestinian refugees, which could destabilise them. So they proposed an alternative plan—but with the US’s rejection it can’t go anywhere.
Egypt and Jordan are tied to Western imperialism in the region and receive military and economic aid from the US. When Jordan rejected Trump’s plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza, Trump threatened to withdraw the funding.
But the US relied on those regimes alongside its watchdog state, Israel, to maintain control of the Middle East.
The contradictions of Trump’s plan open up the possibility of resistance from below.
The revolutions of the Arab Spring in 2011 showed the power of mass resistance to challenge the region’s rulers and imperialism—and isolate Israel. The revival of struggle from below in the region is the path to liberating Palestine.
Food prices are spiralling in Gaza after Israel cut off all aid—and the World Food Bank reports it has just two weeks’ worth of food left.
In Deir el-Balah, chicken more than doubled in price in a matter of days. The price of cooking gas, now £316 for 12kgs, shot up over 16 times.
It is a continuation of Israel’s policy of using starvation as a method of warfare. The blockade is also stopping hospitals carrying out vital operations as Gaza recovers from Israel’s genocide.
Al Jazeera reporter Hani Mahmoud said on Wednesday, “Absolutely no aid has entered for a fourth day.
“It’s not just about the food. Hospitals are struggling to operate with little to no medical supplies at all. Doctors have approached us, telling us how they’re running out of basic supplies, antibiotics and painkillers.”
Israel is now considering cutting off the main water line and stopping all electricity.
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