Meeting Thursday in Paris on post-war arrangements for Gaza

The meeting on Gaza, which will bring together on Thursday the foreign ministers of European and Arab countries, is intended to “specify the terms of collective engagement” to “operationalize” a Palestinian state, French diplomatic sources said Wednesday.

“Among the topics to be discussed are an international stabilization force, transitional governance for Gaza, humanitarian aid and reconstruction, the disarmament of Hamas, support for the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian security forces,” they specified.

As negotiations are underway in Egypt to secure a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip the ministers also want to demonstrate “their support” for the plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The purpose of the meeting is to demonstrate “the willingness to work together to operationalize, in close coordination with the United States, the main parameters of the ‘day after,’ as well as to specify the terms of collective engagement,” the diplomatic sources explained. This meeting is part of the ongoing Franco-Saudi initiative in support of the two-state solution, which led to the New York declaration last summer and “facilitated adoption of the American plan,” the sources added.

In addition to France and Saudi Arabia, participants will include Germany, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom on the European side; Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan on the Arab side, as well as Indonesia, Canada and Turkey, who wish to play an active role in establishing a stabilization mission in Gaza after the cease-fire.

“Our country is ready to participate in the post-war political process for the reconstruction and reunification of Palestine,” an Italian diplomatic source told AFP, describing the Trump Plan as “the only possible one, and it must be supported.”

Announced on Sept. 29, the plan by the American president calls for a cease-fire, the release of hostages held in Gaza within 72 hours, the phased withdrawal of the Israeli army, and the disarmament of Hamas.

“The Italian government is also ready to consider, including as a contribution to the International Stabilization Force (ISF) provided for in President Trump’s plan, the possible deployment of Carabinieri [Italian police forces] to train new police forces in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, where Carabinieri are already present and whose work is highly regarded,” the source added. Finally, Italy is willing to “actively contribute to medical and health infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.”

This meeting, scheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m. local time (3 p.m. GMT, 6 p.m. in Lebanon), will take place the day after a meeting this Wednesday in Paris between French President Emmanuel Macron and Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah.