CAIRO, March 12 (MENA) - The Egyptian diplomacy is intensifying efforts to garner international support for an early recovery and reconstruction plan for Gaza with preparations in full swing for organizing a global Gaza reconstruction conference in cooperation with the Palestinian government and the United Nations.

The conference will be hosted by Egypt and is expected to be held by the end of April but no official date was yet confirmed.

Donors and financing foundations are to take part in the event.

Diplomatic sources said the 100-page Gaza reconstruction plan is a detailed and phased plan that was compiled by Egyptian experts.

Copies of the plan were handed out to Arab leaders during the extraordinary Arab summit hosted by Egypt on March 4 and to several foreign embassies in Cairo.

According to the sources, the plan has received strong support and has been appreciated for its professional and detailed approach.

The sources termed as catastrophic the conditions in the Gaza Strip with the displacement of 2.2 million Palestinians, the death and injury of 150,000 others, the destruction of 50% of hospitals, and the partial or complete devastation of 88% of schools.

Additionally, 68% of cultivated land is no longer arable, and approximately 70% of roads are unusable.

The Egyptian plan includes three phases. The first stage, the early recovery stage, is expected to cost 3 billion dollars over six months. It includes removing rubble, estimated at 50 million tons, and removing unexploded ordnance.

During this period, tens of thousands of prefabricated homes, including caravans and tents, will be provided to shelter 1.2 million Palestinians, while 60,000 damaged homes will be repaired.

The second phase, which will span two years, aims to build 200,000 permanent housing units, continue ordnance clearance, and initiate infrastructure projects.

The third stage also includes the construction of 200,000 houses. It includes as well the establishment of vital infrastructure, such as a commercial seaport, a fishing port, an airport, and the reconstruction of roads, hospitals, and schools, and the reclamation of 20,000 feddans of agricultural land.

The second and third stages, spanning five years, will cost 53 billion dollars to be financed by donors and funding institutions.

The reconstruction process will begin along the Salah al-Din corridor and extend to five key areas in Gaza: Rafah, Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah, Gaza City, and northern Gaza.

The plan, initially an Egyptian initiative, was adopted as a unified Arab plan during the Cairo-hosted extraordinary Arab summit and subsequently endorsed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah.

Several Western countries, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European Council president, and the UN secretary-general have also expressed their support of the plan.

The sources termed as constructive and positive the way Egypt communicated with the US over the past period, citing Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty's contact with US Middle East envoy Steve Weidtkopf, who reviewed the plan, with initial responses signaling openness to further discussions.

As part of the Arab League’s commitment, an Arab-Islamic ministerial committee will soon dispatch delegations to major world capitals—including Washington, D.C.—to present the plan and mobilize support, the sources added. (MENA)
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