Arab leaders meet in Egypt to approve counterproposal to Gaza

Cairo, Mar. 5: A summit of Arab leaders in Cairo is set to adopt Egypt's counterproposal to U.S. President Donald Trump's call for the Gaza Strip to be depopulated and transformed into a beach destination.

It includes an alternative plan in which Palestinians would be relocated to safe areas inside Gaza equipped with mobile homes and shelters while its cities are rebuilt. Hamas would cede power to an interim administration of political independents until a reformed Palestinian Authority can assume control.

Trump shocked the region last month when he suggested Gaza's roughly 2 million residents be resettled in other countries. He said the United States would take ownership of the war-ravaged territory and redevelop it into a Middle Eastern "Riviera."

Palestinian health officials say 29 children have been evacuated from the Gaza Strip to Jordan for medical treatment.

Jordan's King Abdullah II offered to take in 2,000 children for medical treatment during a White House meeting with President Donald Trump last month.

The offer came after Trump suggested Jordan and Egypt accept large numbers of Palestinian refugees from Gaza as part of his proposal to depopulate the war-ravaged territory and redevelop it as a tourist destination. The two Arab countries, both close U.S. allies, have adamantly rejected any such plan.

Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza said the 29 children, accompanied by 43 relatives, traveled to Israel en route to Jordan for treatment.

Jordan said the 2,000 children would be brought to the kingdom in batches, with each child accompanied by up to two family members. It said the initiative was part of its broader humanitarian efforts in Gaza, where it has established field hospitals and airdropped aid.

Arab leaders meeting in Cairo are set to endorse a counterproposal to U.S. President Donald Trump's call for the Gaza Strip to be depopulated and transformed into a beach destination, even as the continuation of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire is uncertain.

The summit hosted by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is expected to include the leaders of regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whose support is crucial for any postwar plan.

Israel has meanwhile embraced what it says is an alternative U.S. proposal for the ceasefire itself and the release of hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. It has blocked the entry of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza to try to get Hamas to accept the new proposal and has warned of additional consequences, raising fears of a return to war.(AP)