The nearly two-month-old ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will not be finalized until Israeli forces depart from the Palestinian territory in accordance with a peace plan supported by Washington and the UN, stated Qatar’s prime minister, the mediator, yesterday.
“We are currently at a pivotal juncture…” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Qatari premier, stated at the Doha Forum, an annual diplomatic gathering in the Gulf capital, that a ceasefire cannot be achieved without the total withdrawal of Israeli soldiers and the restoration of stability in Gaza.
Qatar, in collaboration with the United States and Egypt, facilitated the long-sought truce in Gaza, effective October 10, which has predominantly ceased two years of hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
In the forthcoming second phase of the agreement, Israel is to retreat from its positions in the territory, an interim authority will assume governance, and an international stabilization force (ISF) will be deployed.
Arab and Muslim nations have exhibited reluctance to engage in the new stabilization force, which may ultimately confront Hamas.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, addressing the meeting, stated that discussions regarding the force were underway and that significant uncertainties persisted concerning its command structure and the nations that would participate.
However, its primary objective, Fidan stated, “must be to segregate Palestinians from Israelis”.
This ought to be our primary objective. He said, “We can then address the remaining issues.”
Hamas is expected to disarm according to the 20-point plan initially proposed by US President Donald Trump, permitting members who relinquish their weapons to exit Gaza. The group has consistently dismissed the proposal.
Turkey has expressed its desire to participate in the stabilization force; nevertheless, its initiatives are perceived negatively by Israel, which regards Ankara as excessively aligned with Hamas.
Fidan stated, “The sole feasible method to conclude this war is to participate earnestly and vigorously in peace negotiations.” Sheikh Mohammed noted that Qatar and its partner guarantors of the truce, Turkey, Egypt, and the United States, were convening to facilitate progress for the subsequent phase of the agreement.
“This subsequent phase is merely temporary from our viewpoint,” he stated. “If we are merely addressing the events of the past two years, it is insufficient,” he asserted, advocating for a “sustainable resolution that ensures justice for both parties.”
