US Rejects Arab Summit Plan, Pushes Vision of ‘Gaza Free of Hamas’
The US rejects the Arab plan for Gaza, criticizing its approach and pushing for a vision of Gaza “free of Hamas” while negotiations for a ceasefire remain stalled.
US President Donald Trump has vowed to bring back all Israelis held in the Gaza Strip, while a senior official in his administration criticized the decisions made at the Arab summit held in Cairo on Tuesday.
“In the Middle East, we are bringing back our hostages from Gaza,” Trump said in his address to Congress.
“In my first term, we achieved one of the most groundbreaking peace agreements in generations, the Abraham Accords. And now we’re going to build on that foundation to create a more peaceful and prosperous future for the entire region. A ot of things are happening in the Middle East,” he added.
For his part, US National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said that “the current proposal does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance,”
He stressed that President Trump is committed to his vision of rebuilding “Gaza free of Hamas” and looks forward “to further talks to bring peace and prosperity to the region.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry described the Arab plan as “abundant with outdated views” and rejected relying on the Palestinian Authority or allowing Hamas to remain in power.
Arab Summit
The final statement of the Arab Summit confirmed the rejection of proposals to displace Palestinians, the adoption of the Egyptian plan to rebuild Gaza, and the leaders’ agreement to establish a trust fund to finance the reconstruction of the Strip, which was devastated by the war.
The statement urged the international community to contribute to the fund in order to accelerate the rebuilding process.
The statement welcomed the decision to form a Gaza Administration Committee under the umbrella of the Palestinian government, consisting of qualified figures from Gaza for a transitional period, in parallel with efforts to enable the Palestinian Authority to assume its role in the Strip.
The final communiqué also called on the UN Security Council to deploy international peacekeeping forces in Gaza and the West Bank, as part of steps to reinforce the political horizon for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
It emphasized that peace remains the Arabs’ strategic choice, based on the two-state vision.
Stalled Negotiations
The summit was held amid stalled negotiations to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, following the end of the first phase of the deal on Saturday without progress on the second phase.
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, mediators informed Israel that Hamas refused to show flexibility or engage in talks based on the proposal by US mediator Steven Witkoff.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel had accepted the broad outlines of the Witkoff proposal, which calls for a ceasefire during Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover (April 12-20).
The proposal reportedly stipulates the release of half of the Israelis held in Gaza — both alive and dead — on the first day of the truce. The second half would be released if an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire.
Israeli officials hope that pressure from mediators and measures under consideration will push Hamas towards a settlement.
On the other hand, the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas insists that the second phase of the agreement must include ending the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, paving the way for the third phase, which focuses on reconstruction.
(PC, AJA)