Egypt rejects proposal to take over Gaza administration: Rejected and unacceptable proposals

Egypt has announced its rejection of any proposals regarding its assuming the administration of the Gaza Strip, in response to the proposal of Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid that Cairo assume responsibility for the Strip for 15 years in exchange for paying its debts as part of the plan for the day after the war.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry responded today, Wednesday, saying, "Any proposals or theses that circumvent the constants of the Egyptian and Arab position, and the sound foundations for dealing with the essence of the conflict related to Israel's withdrawal from the occupied territories, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, are rejected and unacceptable."

The ministry's spokesman, Ambassador Tamam Khalaf, said, "The proposal for Egypt to administer the Gaza Strip is a half-solution that contributes to renewing the conflict instead of resolving it once and for all," according to what was reported by the official Egyptian news agency.

He stressed "the organic connection between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as Palestinian lands that represent the territory of the independent Palestinian state, which must be subject to full Palestinian sovereignty and administration."

This comes in response to a proposal from Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid from Washington, which states that “Egypt will assume responsibility for managing the Gaza Strip for a period ranging from 8 to 15 years, in exchange for exempting it from foreign debts.”

Lapid said that “after October 7, 2023, the world needs a new solution for the Gaza Strip,” and that “Israel cannot allow Hamas to remain in power, and the Palestinian Authority is not prepared or able to manage Gaza in the near future.”

He added that "Israel's occupation of the Strip is neither a desirable nor possible option," warning of the repercussions of the continued state of chaos "because it poses a security threat and a humanitarian disaster."

He considered that this solution has historical precedents, and said that “Egypt ruled Gaza for eight years from 1948 to 1956, and then again for a full decade from 1957 to 1967, with the support of the Arab League in a temporary situation, where Egypt assumed guardianship of Gaza on behalf of the Palestinians, without occupying it,” adding that this is what must happen again today.

He stressed that this proposal does not conflict with the idea presented by former US President Donald Trump regarding the reconstruction of Gaza with the participation of the United States and the international community, but rather creates the appropriate conditions for that.

Israeli and American statements continue, trying to develop a plan for the “day after” in the Gaza Strip, sometimes by proposing that Egypt and Jordan be areas to receive Palestinians from Gaza, after the United States takes control of it, and other times by trying to develop plans for the management of the Strip by Arab countries.

Source: Agencies