Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met with his Palestinian counterpart, Mohammad Mustafa, on Saturday to review plans for the early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza. The plan is expected to be presented at the upcoming Arab Summit on 4 March. The meeting, held at the Cabinet headquarters in Cairo, included Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty, as well as Palestinian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Wael Zakout, and Palestinian Ambassador to Egypt Diab Al-Louh.
Madbouly reaffirmed Egypt's support for the Palestinian people and their rights, "especially the right to self-determination and an independent Palestinian state within the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital."
The prime minister stated that the Egyptian government, under President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi's directives, has developed a plan for the "early recovery and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, ensuring the well-being of Palestinian citizens during the reconstruction process."
Madbouly emphasized Egypt's commitment to supporting the Palestinian cause by working to "fully implement the ceasefire agreement and contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza."
Prime Minister Mustafa expressed his gratitude for Egypt's support, lauding President Al-Sisi's "efforts to uphold legitimate Palestinian rights and spearhead the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip." He also acknowledged the contributions of Egyptian state institutions.
According to Mohamed El-Homsani, the official spokesperson for Cabinet, the meeting focused on "coordinating between the Egyptian and Palestinian teams to finalize the reconstruction plan" for presentation at the Arab Summit. He added that "further coordination with international humanitarian organisations to support the recovery and reconstruction was also discussed."
In February, Madbouly stated that Egyptian companies could rebuild the Gaza Strip in three years, drawing on their expertise.
Speaking at a press conference following a cabinet meeting at the time, Madbouly said that "Egyptian firms are well-equipped to execute these projects to the highest standards, with the goal of restoring Gaza to an even better condition than before."
Egyptian officials have said that the Egyptian plan proposes a three-phase reconstruction of Gaza spanning up to five years. The plan designates three "safe zones" within Gaza to relocate Palestinians temporarily during an initial "early recovery period" of six months. These zones would be equipped with mobile homes, shelters and humanitarian aid.
The Egyptian foreign ministry stated that the emergency Arab Summit, originally scheduled for 27 February, was rescheduled "after consultations with Arab states and in coordination with Bahrain, the current chair of the Arab League Council."
