Amid talk of a “possible postponement” of the emergency Arab summit in Cairo, Egypt continues its consultations in coordination with the Arab League to ensure the attendance of the largest number of Arab leaders at the summit, which will discuss developments in the Palestinian issue and the emergence of a “unified and strong” Arab position in the face of the “displacement” plan.

Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ambassador Hossam Zaki, said in televised statements on Sunday evening that the emergency Arab summit scheduled to be held in Cairo on February 27 "may be postponed for a few days due to considerations related to the schedules of the leaders of the participating countries."

Zaki stressed that "Egypt's keenness to have the largest number of leaders attend to ensure the success of the summit is the main motive for any possible postponement," stressing that "the reasons will be purely logistical."

In turn, an Arab diplomatic source confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that “Egypt is holding consultations in coordination with the Arab League to ensure a large and broad attendance by Arab leaders at the emergency summit, with the aim of coming up with a unified Arab position against (displacement),” noting that “it is possible that the summit will be postponed to the first week of next March.”

"well prepared"

Former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister, Ambassador Rakha Ahmed Hassan, believes that “postponing the emergency summit for several days from the announced date aims to prepare well for the summit and for it to come out with a unified and strong Arab position rejecting displacement.”

He added to Asharq Al-Awsat that "Egypt announced the summit after consultations with the concerned Arab countries, and it is continuing these consultations to ensure that it achieves the goal of holding it."

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced, in an official statement last week, that Cairo will host an emergency Arab summit on February 27, which aims to discuss the “new and dangerous” developments in the Palestinian issue, noting that “coordination has been made regarding it with the Kingdom of Bahrain (the current president of the Arab Summit) and the General Secretariat of the Arab League.”

The Arab summit comes amid widespread regional and international condemnation of US President Donald Trump’s proposal to “take control of the Gaza Strip” and establish what he described as a “Middle East Riviera” in the Strip, following his proposal that Egypt and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan receive refugees from Gaza.

The Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League explained in his statements on Sunday evening that “the (emergency summit) aims to formulate a unified and strong Arab position on the Palestinian issue, in light of the rejection of the displacement plan that was proposed by the Israeli side and adopted by the American administration.”

Zaki pointed out that “the Egyptian proposal will be the focus of discussions during the emergency summit, which includes proposals regarding the reconstruction of Gaza by the Palestinian people themselves, which guarantees the provision of job opportunities without the need to displace the residents of the Strip,” stressing that “the main goal of the summit is to support the Palestinian people and strengthen their steadfastness, with the issuance of an official document that reflects this position.”

Zaki said that Hamas's recent statements about its readiness to give up control of Gaza "may open the door to a more stable phase and help pass Arab proposals, ensuring that American ideas are not the only option on the table."

Cairo had announced its intention to present a “comprehensive vision” for the reconstruction of the Strip that would guarantee the Palestinians’ continued presence on their land, a vision that is “being coordinated” with Arab countries.

Construction and guarantees

Former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister, Ambassador Hussein Haridi, believes that the plan that Egypt is preparing regarding Gaza “will include several points regarding reconstruction, including identifying the supervisor of implementation, the person responsible for insurance, in addition to the financing and the time period required for reconstruction.”

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that “any party that contributes to financing the reconstruction, whether Arab or international, will require guarantees that Israel will not launch military operations during the reconstruction period and that Israel will not destroy the Strip again,” noting that “these guarantees will be part of the reconstruction plan.”

According to the Egyptian academic specializing in Israeli and Palestinian affairs, Dr. Tarek Fahmy, “The Egyptian plan depends on the presence of a Palestinian partner on the ground, reopening the crossings, bringing in aid and starting reconstruction, with a mechanism for dealing with the Israeli side.”

Fahmy told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the plan will be divided into several chapters, part of which relates to funding and donor institutions,” noting that “Cairo will present a paper as governing frameworks and direct determinants of the Egyptian role in the coming period, part of which is related to direct support for the Gaza Strip at this time,” noting that “this paper may be put forward for discussion at the five-party summit scheduled to be held in Riyadh, and the expanded emergency Arab summit.”

Fahmy added that “Cairo will present the most comprehensive vision, which is what the King of Jordan indicated during his recent meeting with the US President,” noting that “Egypt is working on two tracks; the first is an international conference with the participation of donor countries to finance reconstruction, and the second is convincing the US administration that there is an Arab-Egyptian proposal that can be built upon,” stressing “the importance of the emergency Arab summit coming out with a unified Arab position in this regard.”