(Adnkronos) – An overnight agreement reached in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt during indirect Hamas-Israel talks on the first stage of US president Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan represents “a new season”, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday.
“But signing an accord is not enough. In order that peace doesn’t collapse, a lasting one must be worked for each day with the goal of a two-state solution,” Tajani told Rtl Radio.
The reconstruction of war-wrecked Gaza “is the focus of a (high-level) meeting today in Paris with colleagues from France, Germany and the United Kingdom and ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and Qatar also taking part,” Tajani noted.
Significant hurdles to peace remain, as Israel insists Hamas must disarm before any political transition, while Hamas refuses to relinquish weapons until a Palestinian state is established, an outcome that Israeli’s premier Benjami Netanyahu currently rejects.
Crucial details of the Trump plan have yet to be hammered out including the timing and make-up of a post-war administration for the Gaza Strip and the fate of Hamas.
The Islamist group continues to demand a permanent ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a reconstruction plan led by a Palestinian “national technocratic body” while the next phase of Trump’s plan calls for an international body (‘Peace Board’) to administer Gaza lead by Trump and including former British premier Tony Blair.
Hamas rejects any role for Blair or foreign rule of Gaza and has so far refused to discuss Israel’s demand that it give up its arms. Hamas insists on a clear timeline for the hostage releases linked to guarantees on a complete Israeli military pull-out, according to Palestinian sources close to the indirect talks in Sharm-el-Sheikh being mediated by Egypt, Qatar and Turkey and the US.
