CAIRO, March 8 (MENA) – Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Tamim Khallaf asserted the importance of the phone call that took place between Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration Badr Abdelatty and US Envoy to the Middle East Steven Witkoff within the framework of the intensified efforts exerted by Egypt to support the Arab plan for early recovery and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip at the international level.

In a phone-in on Extra News channel on Saturday, Khallaf said that the comprehensive plan that was presented in the last Arab summit was approved by all the Arab countries.

In the phone call, Abdelatty reviewed the elements of the plan and its different stages in addition to the targeted times for each stage which aims at guaranteeing that the Palestinians remain on their land, Khallaf said.

Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s aspirations to interact positively with the US administration to review the details of the plan and its advantages, Khallaf added.

Abdelatty also tackled the latest developments on the ceasefire negotiations, asserting the importance of allowing the humanitarian aid supplies into the Gaza Strip.

The Egyptian plan has a comprehensive vision for the early recovery and the reconstruction of Gaza that takes five years along with focusing on keeping the Palestinians on their lands without any kind of displacement, he said.

The three-stage plan includes six months for removing 50 million tons of rubbles, locating unexploded ordnance and providing temporary houses for the Palestinians, he added.

The second and third stages are allocated for the reconstruction of the enclave and include building 400,000 housing units for 2.7 million Palestinians in addition to starting infrastructure projects, including rebuilding the destroyed pavements, building a port, solar energy stations and health centers and hospitals, Khallaf said.

The total cost of reconstruction is estimated at 53 billion dollars and this reflects the volume of destruction caused in the enclave, he added. (MENA)

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