CAIRO, March 4 (Xinhua) -- An emergency Arab summit kicked off in Egypt's New Administrative Capital on Tuesday, gathering Arab leaders and delegations as well as representatives from international organizations to discuss the latest developments in Palestine and the reconstruction of Gaza.
In his opening speech of the Extraordinary Arab Summit-Summit for Palestine, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt has worked, in cooperation with Palestine and international institutions, to formulate a comprehensive plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing its residents.
The plan will start with an early recovery phase to address urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza and proceed with a reconstruction phase, he said, calling for adopting and supporting the plan.
The plan must coincide with a clear path to peace, including political and security aspects, in which regional countries participate with the support of the international community to reach a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue, he said.
Sisi said Egypt will host a conference for Gaza reconstruction in April.
He said Egypt, in cooperation with Palestine, has formed an administrative committee of independent Palestinian professionals and technocrats to supervise the relief operation in Gaza and temporarily manage the enclave in preparation for the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza.
Egypt is also working on training Palestinian security cadres who will assume the tasks of maintaining security in Gaza, Sisi said.
For his part, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit stressed that violence will not stop if the Israeli occupation is not ended, and any illegal perspective for the region is not accepted.
Violence will not be stopped by displacing Palestinians, and the reconstruction of Gaza is viable while keeping its residents on their land, he said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed the UN's readiness to back the Egypt-drafted plan, stressing that Gaza should remain as part of the State of Palestine.
Describing the situation in Gaza as "horrific," Guterres called for allowing humanitarian aid into the enclave.
On Sunday, Israel decided to "prevent any entry of goods and supplies into Gaza" to pressure Hamas into accepting a new proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire agreement reached between the two sides in January.
The emergency summit will later discuss the Egypt-drafted plan. ■
