The United States and Israel have dismissed a reconstruction proposal put forward by the Arab League, which aims to rebuild the devastated Gaza Strip while ensuring that its nearly two million residents remain in their homeland.

During an emergency summit in Cairo on 4 March, Arab leaders adopted a unified plan for Gaza’s future, directly opposing a controversial initiative by former US President Donald Trump, who had envisioned displacing the entire population to transform the area into an "American Côte d'Azur."

For Washington and Tel Aviv, the Arab states' proposal fails to acknowledge what they call the "realities" on the ground in Gaza. They insisted on sticking to Trump’s vision. "The current proposal ignores the fact that Gaza is uninhabitable and that its residents cannot live humanely in an area covered in debris and unexploded ordnance," claimed US National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes on Tuesday, reiterating Trump's stance on reconstructing Gaza without Hamas.

Israel’s foreign ministry backed the US plan, arguing that Trump’s proposal offers Gazans a "free choice" that should be encouraged. Instead, it accused Arab states of rejecting this "opportunity" while levelling unfounded accusations against Israel.

Arab League Deputy Secretary-General Hossam Zaki denounced the Israeli response, stating that it "goes against humanity and morality." He condemned Trump’s plan as a violation of international law and reaffirmed that "this is a war waged by Israel partly to expel Palestinians from their land."

In February, Trump proposed that Washington take control of Gaza—potentially with US military involvement—to turn it into what he called the "Riviera of West Asia." His controversial idea included the mass displacement of Palestinians from their homeland, with forced resettlement in neighbouring countries such as Egypt and Jordan.