Egypt plans Gaza reconstruction without displacing Palestinians

Egypt's foreign ministry has announced plans for a reconstruction initiative in Gaza that guarantees the more than two million Palestinians living in the region will not be forced from their homes, the BBC reports

This announcement followed a meeting between Jordan's King Abdullah II and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. When asked about his views on Trump’s proposal, King Abdullah responded cautiously, saying, “Let’s wait until the Egyptians can present their plan and not get ahead of ourselves.”

Trump has been advocating for Egypt, Jordan, and other neighboring countries to permanently resettle Gazan Palestinians, envisioning the development of a "Riviera of the Middle East" in Gaza under U.S. control. However, this idea has faced strong opposition from the Arab World and the international community, who argue that it amounts to ethnic cleansing.

Despite this backlash, Trump has doubled down on his proposal, even threatening to withhold billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Egypt and Jordan if they refuse to cooperate.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattal el-Sisi has been invited to the White House, according to two Egyptian sources cited by Reuters. However, el-Sisi has stated that he will only agree to a meeting if Trump assures that Palestinians will not be displaced.

Meanwhile, Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff earlier this week.

The situation in Gaza remains tense as Hamas accuses Israel of breaking a ceasefire agreement by allegedly targeting Palestinians with airstrikes and gunfire and refusing the entry of humanitarian aid. Hamas has threatened to delay the release of three hostages, initially scheduled for Saturday. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that if the hostages are not freed by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire will be nullified and “intense fighting” will resume in Gaza, AFP reports.