Arab Summit in Cairo.. Arab leaders discuss confronting plans to liquidate the Palestinian cause

The emergency Arab summit called for by Egypt for the sake of Palestine will begin today, Tuesday, in Cairo, amidst an increasing Israeli threat to resume the war of extermination that Israel launched on Gaza. The occupation has imposed a comprehensive siege on the Strip by preventing the entry of humanitarian aid, in addition to the continued aggression on the northern West Bank and the expansion of settlements there and in occupied Jerusalem.

The Arab Summit will discuss declaring a unified Arab position to confront US President Donald Trump’s proposal to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, Egypt’s reconstruction plan, and a clear vision to prevent the liquidation of the Palestinian cause.

Egypt is scheduled to present to the summit the alternative plan for the reconstruction of Gaza and the rapid recovery from the repercussions of the Israeli aggression, after it has been working during the past few days to develop a complete vision for it, in order to garner Arab support for it, which has become doubtful, in light of the differences in Arab positions, specifically on the part of prominent Gulf powers.

Also, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to present the Palestinian Authority's vision for dealing with the crisis, hoping to obtain support for it, at a time when Egypt and Jordan do not adopt positions supporting that vision.

Egyptian draft

The Gaza plan, drawn up by Egypt to counter Trump's proposal for a "Middle East Riviera," aims to "marginalize Hamas and replace it with interim bodies controlled by Arab, Muslim and Western states," according to a draft seen by Reuters.

According to the draft, the "Good Governance Assistance Mission" would replace the government in Gaza for an indefinite temporary period, and would be responsible for humanitarian aid and starting the reconstruction of the war-torn enclave.

The plan does not specify who will run the “Governance Assistance Mission,” but it says it will draw on the expertise of Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere to help the territory recover as quickly as possible, Reuters reported.
The draft envisions an “international stabilization force” composed primarily of Arab states that would take over security from Hamas, with a new local police force eventually established. A steering and management council would be tasked with “organizing, directing and supervising” the security and administrative bodies in the Gaza Strip.

The steering and management council is made up of key Arab countries, members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the United States, Britain, the European Union, EU member states and other parties, according to the draft seen by Reuters.

The draft calls for the Steering Council to coordinate with a civil society advisory council, made up of academics, NGO leaders and other prominent figures, who strongly reject the US proposal for the mass displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

The Arab position varies

The emergency summit will be held in Cairo amidst differing visions. It was scheduled for February 27 before being postponed to March 4.

Disagreements over the summit agenda became public when Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune did not participate in the summit, in protest against what was described as “the imbalances and shortcomings that marred the preparatory process, and the monopolization of this process by a limited group of Arab countries,” according to what was reported by the official Algerian news agency.

The agency reported, quoting a responsible source, that "Algeria protests the fact that Arab countries alone are preparing the outcomes of the summit without the slightest coordination with the rest of the countries."

The Algerian position was preceded by leaks regarding the difference in viewpoints between the leaders of the countries that participated in the informal Riyadh meeting, which came at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, regarding reaching a unified vision and a general framework for a solution to the Palestinian issue and the situation in the Gaza Strip, before presenting it at the Cairo summit.

Saudi Arabia insisted on the necessity of disarming the Palestinian resistance and removing the leaders of the armed wings from the Strip, as a guarantee that wars would not be repeated on the Strip and that what would be built would not be destroyed, in exchange for financing reconstruction operations. This is the same position adopted by the UAE, while this vision did not receive full Qatari acceptance, while Egypt was content to submit comments on it.

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, will head his country's delegation, accompanied by the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, according to the Qatar News Agency (QNA).

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported, from diplomatic sources, that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will attend the opening of the emergency Arab summit. He is scheduled to deliver a speech during the summit on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the necessity of continuing the ceasefire and releasing prisoners.

An Egyptian diplomatic source revealed that the final statement, which was agreed upon, includes adherence to the general principles, which are the rejection of the displacement of Palestinians, as well as the rejection of plans to annex the West Bank, and the necessity of bringing in aid and relief supplies without restrictions, according to what was reported by the newspaper "Al-Araby Al-Jadeed".

"The announcement of support for the Egyptian plan to rebuild Gaza will also include a general framework, without going into its details, while emphasizing work to remove the obstacles that could hinder its implementation, in order to overcome the obstacle of disagreements over the proposal to disarm the resistance at the present time."

Source: Yemen Youth Net + Agencies + Al-Araby Al-Jadeed