Difficult negotiations for phase 2 of the Gaza peace plan. Disarmament of Hamas, one of the disputed points
Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister, Photo: Inquam Photos / George Călin
The disarmament of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas cannot be the main priority in the Gaza Strip, the head of Turkish diplomacy Hakan Fidan said on Saturday, at a time when international mediators are trying to negotiate the second phase of the peace plan of the American president Donald Trump, reports France Presse and Reuters, quoted by Agerpres.
“Disarmament cannot be the first thing to do in this process. We must be realistic. First of all, we must see that the administration of the Gaza Strip is taken over by a Palestinian committee of technocrats, then we must see that a police force is formed for Gaza – again, formed by the Palestinians, not by Hamas,” said the Turkish foreign minister, present at the 23rd edition of the Doha Forum.
The negotiations regarding the composition and mandate of the multinational security force that would be deployed in Gaza are proving to be very difficult.
Fidan said that the police in the Gaza Strip will be supported by the international stabilization force. He added that Washington is putting pressure on Israel regarding Turkey's offer to participate in that force.
Qatar, Egypt and the United States are the main mediators in the war in the Gaza Strip. Doha has constantly denounced the obstacles placed by Israel in the way of progressing the talks regarding the ceasefire and reaching the second phase of the peace plan, which provides, among other things, a permanent armistice and the reconstruction of the Palestinian enclave.
The Qatari Prime Minister, Mohamed bin Abdelrahman Al Thani, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, the Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, the President of Ghana, John Dramani, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Nawaf Salam, and the president of the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, Nechirvan Idris Barzani, are also participating in the Doha event.
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Bill Gates, president of the Gates Foundation and founder of the Microsoft group, are also present.
