Egypt said to propose Gaza ‘secure areas’ where Palestinians will live as Strip rebuilt

CAIRO — Egypt is developing a plan to rebuild Gaza without forcing Palestinians out of the Strip in a counter to President Donald Trump’s proposal to depopulate the territory so the US can take it over.

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

Egyptian officials have been discussing the plan with European diplomats as well as with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, according to two Egyptian officials and Arab and Western diplomats. They are also discussing ways to fund the reconstruction, including an international conference on Gaza reconstruction, says one of the Egyptian officials and an Arab diplomat.

The officials and diplomats speak on condition of anonymity because the proposal is still being negotiated.