The Israeli Foreign Ministry has rejected the Arab League statement on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, saying that countries in the region have leveled “baseless accusations” against Israel in a text that does not reflect the current reality following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.
“There is no mention of Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack, which caused thousands of Israeli deaths and hundreds of kidnappings, nor is there any condemnation of this murderous terrorist entity despite its well-documented atrocities and the threat it poses to Israel and the region,” it said in a statement.
The ministry said the statement “fails to address the realities of the situation after October 7, 2023, and is based on an outdated perspective.” Similarly, it relies on the Palestinian Authority or the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which “have repeatedly demonstrated corruption, support for terrorism and failure to resolve” the conflict.
Thus, it has accused the Arab countries of rejecting the “opportunity” provided by the plan of the president of the United States, Donald Trump. “Israel urges the responsible regional states to free themselves from the limitations of the past and collaborate to create a future of stability and security in the region,” it added.
The Ministry has recalled that the Hamas attacks “have destabilized the entire region.” “Its terrorist regime in Gaza prevents any possibility of security for Israel and its neighbors. Therefore, for the sake of peace and stability, it cannot remain in power,” it has sentenced.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has also highlighted that the Arab states “have used the Palestinians as pawns against Israel for 77 years,” while also condemning them “to an eternal status of refugees.”
The Arab League, which held a summit in Cairo on Tuesday, has overwhelmingly supported the initiative presented by Egypt for the reconstruction of Gaza without the displacement of Palestinians, an initiative that comes in contrast to President Trump’s plan.
The initiative envisages the reconstruction of the enclave “in specific stages” thanks to international funding and always maintaining the status of Gaza as “part of the Palestinian State of the future.” In political terms, it envisages a technocratic body that will manage the region for at least six months under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority and with the aim of maintaining the “connection” between the West Bank and the Strip.
