Arab leaders meet to discuss alternative to Trump’s Gaza peace plan

Photo : AFP

Arab leaders are meeting in Cairo on Tuesday to talk about a new plan for Gaza. They want to find a better way to help Gaza after the war. Many people do not like the plan made by former US President Donald Trump. They say his idea may push Palestinians out of their homes.

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This meeting happens just one day after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he liked Trump’s plan. He called it a “great and smart” idea. But Palestinians, Arab countries, and even some of Israel’s friends do not agree with this plan.

The United Nations says Gaza needs more than $53 billion to fix all the damage caused by the war. The war started after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. Since then, Gaza has been badly destroyed.

On Monday, Arab foreign ministers met in Cairo before the big meeting. They talked about a plan to help Gaza but without forcing people to leave their land. This plan will be given to Arab leaders on Tuesday so they can decide on it. Some countries sent their top leaders, while others sent ministers. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa will speak at the start of the meeting.

Trump’s idea made many people angry when he first talked about it. He said the US should take control of Gaza and make it a beautiful tourist place. He also wanted to move Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan. Later, Trump changed his words and said he would not force anyone to accept his plan. But experts say his idea might be against international law.

On Monday, Netanyahu spoke to the Israeli parliament and praised Trump’s plan. He said the people of Gaza should have the “freedom to leave.” Some extreme members of Netanyahu’s government, like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also support removing Palestinians from Gaza.

The Cairo meeting is happening at the same time Israel and Hamas are struggling to agree on peace. A temporary ceasefire started on January 19 and lasted for six weeks. During this time, Hamas freed some Israeli hostages, and Israel released some Palestinian prisoners. Aid also reached Gaza. But this ceasefire has now ended, and a new deal has not been made.

Israel wants to extend the ceasefire until mid-April, but Hamas says the second phase of talks should start. This could help in ending the war forever. Netanyahu warned Hamas on Monday that they would face “serious punishment” if they did not release the remaining hostages.

A senior Hamas leader, Osama Hamdan, said Israel was not following the agreement. He said Israel was trying to avoid real peace talks.

As ceasefire talks failed, Israel said it would stop all supplies from entering Gaza. Israel also warned Hamas that there would be “more punishment” if they did not agree to extend the ceasefire.

This move by Israel has upset Egypt, Qatar, and many other countries. The United Nations and some of Israel’s friends have also criticized it. Germany said stopping aid to people in need was “not fair.” Britain also said food and medicine "should not be blocked."

The war has left Gaza in ruins. Most buildings are destroyed, and almost all people have been forced to leave their homes. The United Nations says many people do not have enough food to eat.

Hamas’s attack on Israel in 2023 killed over 1,200 people, most of them civilians. In response, Israel bombed Gaza and sent in its army. Nearly 48,400 people in Gaza have died, most of them civilians.

Out of the 251 hostages Hamas took, 58 are still in Gaza. The Israeli military says that 34 of them have died.