Egypt to Yair Lapid: We're not running Gaza

Egyptian sources speaking to the Saudi outlet al-Hadath said today (Tuesday) that Egypt has no intention to run or govern the Gaza Strip, contrary to the plan presented by Opposition Leader Yair Lapid today in Washington, DC.

Yair Lapid presented a provocative new plan for Gaza’s future today at a conference hosted by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, DC.

At the heart of Lapid’s vision? Egypt, which would assume responsibility for managing the Gaza Strip for 15 years, while the international community and regional allies would erase Egypt’s staggering $155 billion external debt.

Lapid’s plan, developed over months with senior Israeli diplomatic and security figures, was unveiled publicly for the first time during his U.S. visit, where he’s been meeting with Trump administration officials and senior senators. It aims to address the intractable “day after” question in Gaza, following nearly 18 months of war that has left the enclave in ruins and Hamas still clinging to power.

“After almost a year and a half of fighting, the world is stunned to find Hamas still ruling Gaza,” Lapid said in his opening remarks. “No one in Netanyahu’s government has offered a realistic alternative. For political, religious, and sometimes messianic reasons, they’ve failed to take steps toward an effective governance structure that could push Hamas out.”

Lapid outlined two pressing threats to Israel’s southern border: the need for a new governance solution in Gaza—where neither Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, nor Israeli occupation is viable—and Egypt’s teetering economy, burdened by a $155 billion debt that jeopardizes its stability and, by extension, the region’s. His solution? Hand Gaza’s reins to Egypt temporarily, bolstered by a global financial lifeline.

He pointed to historical precedent: Egypt controlled Gaza from 1948 to 1967 under Arab League backing, acting as a temporary custodian for Palestinians. “This is what needs to happen again today,” Lapid argued.

Egypt has historically been reticent to return to the Gaza Strip ever since Israel took it from the country in 1967. Sadat refused to even consider retaking it during the Camp David negotiations with Prime Minister Menachem Begin, calling it “Palestinian” and not Egyptian territory. A proposal by then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to do so in 2009 was similarly rebuffed, with the Egyptian leader saying that Israel took it, so it’s Israel’s problem.