The Maldives has welcomed the adoption of the Gaza reconstruction plan presented by Egypt, which was endorsed at the Arab League Summit on Gaza, in Cairo, Egypt, on 4 March. The Maldives’ support was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdulla Khaleel on a post on social media platform X following the summit’s approval of the Egypt’s proposal.
The Arab summit in Cairo, Egypt, approved Egypt’s proposal to replace US President Donald Trump's vision of expelling Gaza's Muslims and developing a ‘Riviera’ in Gaza.
In his post, the Maldivian Foreign Minister said the proposed plan’s focus on relief and rebuilding of Gaza under the governance of the Palestinian Authority paves way for a lasting peaceful solution, where the people of Palestine can remain on their land and and uphold the Palestinian cause. He expressed hope that with these measures, the establishment of an independent state in Palestine would come about, consistent with the pre-1967 Palestinian borders, with East Jerusalem as its sovereign state.
Egypt's proposal includes transitional measures, reconstruction and governance.
Under the first phase of the Egyptian proposal, a governing committee will be formed for Gaza within six months. According to the plan, Gaza’s reconstruction would begin with the clearing of rubble from Gaza’s Salah al-Din Street. Once the roads are clear, 200,000 housing units will be constructed to accommodate 1.2 million people, and about 60,000 damaged buildings restored. The next phases will see the construction of an additional 400,000 homes.
The Arab countries have launched talks on the reconstruction of Gaza after Israel’s genocide in Gaza destroyed the city's homes and infrastructure. The Israelis launched its inhuman aggression against Gaza on 7 October 2023. The death toll in Gaza has risen to 61,700, with another 111,000 injured.