Egypt is developing a plan to rebuild Gaza without forcing Palestinians out of the strip, as it tries to provide an alternative to US President Donald Trump’s proposal to take over the territory and displace its population.

Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty said Cairo is “working on drawing up a comprehensive multi-phase plan for Gaza’s early recovery and reconstruction, ensuring Palestinians remain in their own homeland without being threatened with displacement,” the state-run news agency reported Monday.

Abdelatty made the remarks during a meeting with the UN’s Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini.

Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram newspaper said the proposal calls for establishing “secure areas” within Gaza where Palestinians can live while Egyptian and international construction firms remove and rehabilitate the strip’s infrastructure.

The plan, it said, should be finalised by “next week”.

Around a quarter of a million housing units have been destroyed in Israel’s 16-month campaign in Gaza, triggered by Hamas’ 7 October attack, according to UN estimates. More than 90 percent of the roads and more than 80 percent of health facilities have been damaged or destroyed.

Egypt’s plan will be in three phases, and take up to five years, two Egyptian officials told AP news agency, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Phase one should start after the emergency Arab summit in Cairo on 27 February.

Ahead of that, officials from Egypt, Qatar, the UAE and Jordan are to meet on Thursday in Saudi Arabia to discuss the proposed reconstruction.

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