Arab FMs hold closed-door talks over Gaza – World

• Cairo plan suggests ‘Governance Assistance Mission’ in place of Hamas
• Proposal to be presented to Arab League summit today
• Hamas rejects any form of ‘non-Palestinian’ set-up
• Europe wants aid restored

CAIRO: As Arab foreign ministers met behind closed doors on Monday ahead of an Arab League (AL) summit focused on a plan to counter President Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza and expel its residents, some European states urged Israel to “immediately” stop blocking aid flowing into the war-ravaged enclave.

The ministers in Cairo held a “preparatory and consultative” session centred on an Arab plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing its 2.4 million residents, an AL source said.

The source added the plan “would be presented to Arab leaders at Tuesday’s summit for approval”.

Earlier, Egyptian Fore­ign Minister Badr Abde­latty held separate meetings with Arab counterparts, including from Jor­dan, Bahrain, Tunisia, Iraq and Yemen, as well as the Palestinian top diplomat.

FM Abdelatty called for “moving forward with early recovery projects” in Gaza.

The Trump plan has united Arab world in opposition, with Saudi Arabia hosting a consultative meeting of Arab leaders last month to discuss “joint efforts in support of the Palestinian cause”.

Trump appeared to soften his stance on the plan recently. “I think that’s a plan that really works, but I’m not forcing it,” Trump said. “I’m just gonna sit back and recommend it.”

Aid must continue

Aid for Gaza “must not be blocked”, the office of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday, renewing calls for a “sustainable ceasefire”.

“We’ve been clear that aid must get into Gaza, so it must not be blocked,” a spokesperson for Star­mer’s office said, after an Israeli decision to stop supplies.

Germany also urged Israel to “immediately” stop blocking aid flowing into Gaza.

“Unimpeded access for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip must be guaranteed at all times,” foreign ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer told a press briefing.

Hamas future

Egypt’s plan for Gaza drawn up as a counter to Trump’s ambition for a Middle East Riviera would sideline Hamas and replace it with interim bodies controlled by Arab, Muslim and western states, according to a draft seen by Reuters.

Who will run Gaza after the conflict remains the unanswered question in talks over its future. Hamas rejected the idea of any proposal being imposed on Palest­inians by other states.

Under the Egyptian plan, a Governance Assi­stance Mission would replace the Hamas-run government in Gaza and would be responsible for humanitarian aid and for kick-starting reconstruction. “There will be no major international funding for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Gaza if Hamas remains the dominant and armed political element on the ground controlling local governance,” a preamble outlining the draft said.

Egypt, Jordan and Gulf Arab states have for been scrambling to formulate a diplomatic offe­n­sive to counter Trump’s plan. A number of ideas have been proposed, with Egypt’s considered the frontrunner. The plan does not specify who would run the governance mission. It said it would, “draw on the expertise of Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere to help Gaza recover as quickly as possible”.

Stabilisation force

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the group knows of no such proposal by Egypt.

“The day after in Gaza must only be decided by the Palestinians,” he said.

“Hamas rejects any attempt to impose projects or any form of non-Palestinian administration, or the presence of any foreign forces on the land of the Gaza Strip.”

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2025