Cairo: Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, discussed how to implement the Arab plan for Gaza reconstruction and early recovery during a phone call on Monday.

According to State Information Service Egypt, both diplomats also talked about the progress of Egypt’s planned international reconstruction conference, which aims to gather funding for the plan. The conference, scheduled for next month, will be hosted in collaboration with the Palestinian government and the United Nations.

The Arab plan, which was agreed upon at the Extraordinary Arab summit in Cairo last week, outlines a three-stage process. It begins with an early recovery plan and is followed by two phases of extensive reconstruction, with an estimated cost of $53 billion. This Egyptian-crafted plan serves as a counterproposal to U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan concerning the Gaza Strip, which has been met with international criticism.

The European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have expressed support for the Arab plan. Additionally, the phone call between the two ministers addressed recent developments in Syria, particularly the tensions in the coastal areas where fighting has resulted in numerous casualties. Minister Abdelatty emphasized Egypt’s support for Syrian sovereignty and the importance of a comprehensive, Syrian-led political process.