A plan for Gaza drawn up by Egypt as a counter to US President Donald Trump’s ambition for a Middle East Riviera would sideline Hamas and replace it with interim bodies controlled by Arab, Muslim, and Western states, according to a draft seen by Reuters.

The Egyptian vision for Gaza, which is due to be presented at an Arab League summit on Tuesday, does not specify whether the proposal would be implemented before or after any permanent peace deal to end the war triggered by the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.

Trump’s plan, which envisioned resettling Gaza’s Palestinian inhabitants elsewhere, appeared to back away from long-standing US Middle East policy focused on a two-state solution and sparked anger among Palestinians and Arab nations.

Who will run Gaza after the conflict remains the great unanswered question in negotiations over the future of the enclave. Hamas has so far rejected the idea of any proposal being imposed on Palestinians by other states.

Cairo’s plan does not tackle critical issues such as who will foot the bill for Gaza’s reconstruction or outline any specific details around how Gaza would be governed, nor how an armed terrorist group as powerful as Hamas would be pushed aside.

Under the Egyptian plan, a Governance Assistance Mission would replace the Hamas-run government in Gaza for an unspecified interim period and would be responsible for humanitarian aid and for kick-starting reconstruction of the enclave, which has been devastated by the war.

“There will be no major international funding for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Gaza if Hamas remains the dominant and armed political element on the ground controlling local governance,” a preamble outlining the draft Egyptian plan’s objectives said.

Details of Egypt’s proposed framework for Gaza’s future have not been previously reported.

Egypt, Jordan, and Gulf Arab states have for almost a month been scrambling to formulate a diplomatic offensive to counter Trump’s plan. A number of ideas have been proposed, with Egypt’s considered the frontrunner.

Reuters was unable to determine whether Arab leaders would support the plan presented by Egypt.

The plan does not specify who would run the governance mission. It said it would “draw on the expertise of Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere to help Gaza recover as quickly as possible.”

The draft proposal was shared with Reuters by an official involved in Gaza negotiations who wished to remain anonymous because the draft has not yet been made public.

The plan firmly rejects the US proposal for mass displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, which Arab states such as Egypt and Jordan see as a security threat.

“President Trump has been clear that Hamas cannot continue to govern Gaza,” White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said when asked about Egypt’s Gaza plan and whether the US would support it.

“While the [resident stands by his bold vision for a post-war Gaza, he welcomes input from our Arab partners in the region. It’s clear his proposals have driven the region to come to the table rather than allow this issue to devolve into further crisis,” Hughes said.

STABILIZATION FORCE

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the group knows of no such proposal by Egypt.

“The day after in Gaza must only be decided by the Palestinians,” he said. “Hamas rejects any attempt to impose projects or any form of non-Palestinian administration, or the presence of any foreign forces on the land of the Gaza Strip.”

The Egyptian draft does not mention future elections.

Egypt’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the office of Israel‘s prime minister, whose support for any plan is seen as vital to secure a commitment that any future reconstruction will not be destroyed again.

Palestinian Islamist terror group Hamas has ruled the coastal enclave since 2007. It launched the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and started the Gaza war.

A Jan. 19 ceasefire brought a temporary end to the fighting, but the first phase of the deal expired on Saturday with no sign of an agreement to move to the second phase.

The Egyptian draft does not tackle the issue of what actions could be taken if Hamas refuses to disarm or step aside from politics.

The proposal envisions an International Stabilization Force drawn primarily from Arab states that would take over the role of providing security from the terrorist group, with the eventual establishment of a new local police force.

Both security and governance bodies would be “arranged, guided, and supervised” by a steering board. The draft said the board would comprise key Arab countries, members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the United States, Britain, the European Union and its member states, and others.

The plan does not detail a central governing role for the Palestinian Authority (PA), which opinion polls show has little support among Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

A Palestinian official told Reuters that, like the West Bank, Gaza falls under the PA’s jurisdiction – and it must be run by Palestinians.

“We agreed with the Egyptians on a committee made of Palestinian experts that will help the Palestinian Authority in running the Gaza Strip for six months. The committee is made of Palestinian experts and coordinates with the PA, and doesn’t answer to non-Palestinian bodies,” said the official, who asked not to be named for sensitivity.

RECONSTRUCTION BILL

Since Hamas drove the Palestinian Authority out of Gaza after a brief civil war in 2007, it has crushed all opposition there. Supported by Iran, it built an extensive security apparatus and military organization based around a vast network of tunnels – much of which Israel says it has now destroyed.

The plan does not say who would pay to rebuild Gaza, a bill estimated by the UN at more than $53 billion. Two sources have told Reuters that Gulf and Arab states would need to commit at least $20 billion in the initial phase of reconstruction.

Egypt’s proposal envisions that states on the steering board could establish a fund to support the interim governing body and arrange donor conferences to seek contributions for a longer-term reconstruction and development plan for Gaza.

The plan does not contain any specific financial pledges.

Oil- and gas-producing Gulf Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates could be vital sources of funding from the region.

The United Arab Emirates, for instance, sees Hamas and other militant groups as an existential threat and is unlikely to offer any funding until Hamas has been sidelined.

The foreign ministries in Qatar and the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s international media office did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Egypt’s plan, or to questions about their willingness to commit funds to rebuild Gaza.

The draft plan also calls on the steering board to coordinate with a Civil Society Advisory Board, consisting of academics, NGO leaders and other notable figures.

The post Egypt’s Alternative to Trump’s ‘Gaza Riviera’ Aims to Sideline Hamas first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Monday it had “neutralized” a man who was planning “terrorist attacks” on the Moscow metro and a Jewish religious institution in the Moscow region.

FSB officers attempted to arrest the suspect, but he resisted and was shot dead by return fire, the FSB said.

The suspect had planned to travel to Afghanistan and join a terrorist group following the attacks, it stated.

The post Russia’s FSB Security Service Says It Shot Dead a Man Targeting Moscow Metro, Jewish Site in ‘Terrorist Attacks’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

A tourist visiting Israel on certain days in May may find themselves surprised. Suddenly, in the middle of a busy street, at a café, or even on a crowded highway, everything comes to a halt. People rise from their seats, stop walking, pull over their cars, and stand still — all while a siren echoes through the air and from car radios.

Looking around in astonishment, they see an entire nation pausing in unison. The sirens of Holocaust Remembrance Day and Memorial Day for Israel’s Fallen Soldiers are among the times that this national mourning happens.

But last Wednesday, we witnessed another such moment — one that lasted an entire day — when the coffins of Shiri Bibas and her children were laid to rest.

Tens of thousands of Israelis accompanied the funeral procession, waving Israeli flags, orange and yellow banners, symbols of the hostages, and posters expressing support for the family. Shiri and her two little boys were buried together in a single coffin, and the funeral was marked by elements in orange — a tribute to the red hair of the Bibas children. Across the country, orange balloons were released into the sky, a heartbreaking symbol of childhood cruelly cut short.

Along the route, thousands of Israelis put their daily routines on hold, silently accompanying the Bibas family on their final journey. Many held signs with the word “Sorry” — a word that expressed pain, frustration, and a deep sense of helplessness. Others sang “Hatikvah” through tear-filled eyes, holding hands, forming circles of remembrance, grief, and unity.

On the day of the funeral, the pain was not just the family’s — it was the pain of an entire nation. And the entire world saw this powerful Israeli phenomenon — this collective mobilization, this national embrace, these tears that belonged to everyone.

At the request of the Bibas family, the funeral ceremony itself was intimate, with no government or Knesset representatives present. But the eulogies were broadcast to the public, and all of Israel heard Yarden Bibas’ farewell words.

After speaking lovingly about his wife, Yarden then spoke about his children: “Chuki,” he addressed Ariel, who would forever remain four years old, “you made me a father. You made us a family. I’m sure you’re making all the angels laugh with your impressions.” Then, he turned to little Kfir: “I miss playing our morning games. Mishmish, who will help me make decisions now? How am I supposed to make decisions without you? Do you remember the last decision we made? In the shelter, I asked you if we should fight or surrender. You said, ‘Fight.’ so I did. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”

These are the moments that remind us of our shared existence, of our ability to rise above division and discord. In days of deep disagreements and social tensions, these moments of unity are not to be taken for granted; they serve as a reminder that beneath the turbulent and stormy surface, there is a common ground of values, of humanity, and of shared destiny.

The debates will continue another day. But this moment of unity deserves to be etched into our collective memory as a reminder of what we are capable of being, in the hope that we will find this unity again in brighter days.

Itamar Tzur is the author of The Invention of the Palestinian Narrative and an Israeli scholar specializing in Middle Eastern history. He holds a Bachelor’s degree with honors in Jewish History and a Master’s degree with honors in Middle Eastern studies. As a senior member of the “Forum Kedem for Middle Eastern Studies and Public Diplomacy,” he leverages his academic expertise to deepen understanding of regional dynamics and historical contexts.

The post An Orange Moment of Pure Unity in Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.