Mick Hartley

Yesterday I was wondering how widespread in Arab circles was the view of the Egyptian journalist that Hamas must surrender its weapons, and Trump's plan for Gaza, while absurd, was the only game in town. Well, it seems they're taking this seriously. Trump has got them talking.

From the Times:

Arab states have adopted a $53 billion plan to reconstruct Gaza while sidelining Hamas, in a proposal they hope will forestall President Trump’s demand to empty the territory of its inhabitants and turn it into a US-controlled “Riviera”.

Leaders from the 22-member Arab League met at a summit in Cairo on Tuesday, despite sharp divisions between some of the countries over the future governance of the Gaza Strip, which Hamas has controlled since expelling Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority in 2007.

Abbas, who was present at the meeting, said he welcomed the plan and called on Trump to aid with the reconstruction without carrying out the US president’s previous proposal to displace Gaza’s 2.1 million inhabitants and turn it into a “Middle East Riviera”.

Egypt produced a detailed blueprint of its proposals in a 91-page document, including pictures of brand new public buildings.

And very nice they look too. 

The plan envisages 200,000 housing units to be built in Gaza and more than $50 billion in aid to fund its reconstruction, overseen by a committee with Hamas playing no role. Such funding is likely to centre on hefty contributions from oil-rich Gulf states.

It's a positive development after the Arab world has for years refused to get involved. But they still don't want any Gazans – fellow Arabs – moving in. And Hamas, of course, is refusing to disarm, or go away any time soon.