The Financial Times: Details of the British and US plan to stop the war in Gaza
The Financial Times revealed a five-point British proposal to stop the war in Gaza.
The initiative, which Foreign Secretary David Cameron discussed with Israeli and Palestinian leaders during a tour of the region this week, calls for an immediate ceasefire.
A senior British official said this would be used to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza and negotiate a permanent ceasefire.
It proposes establishing a clear political horizon to establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel, and the formation of a technocratic Palestinian government to administer the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip after the war.
Hamas must release all hostages and commit to stopping attacks against Israel, which the countries of the region will guarantee.
The proposal includes that senior Hamas leaders in Gaza, including Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7 attack that led to the war, leave the Strip for another country.
This proposal is one of several initiatives being discussed by Western and Arab countries as international pressure mounts on Israel to end its attack on Gaza, which has killed more than 26,000 people, according to Palestinian officials.
On the other hand, the New York Times said that the United States is leading a group of about 10 countries trying to find solutions to end the war in Gaza and form a stable government in the Strip after the war.
The efforts are working on three tracks, including the release of hostages and a ceasefire, reform of the Palestinian Authority, and Saudi normalization with Israel in exchange for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The report says that a number of ideas are being considered, but acknowledges that some are temporary, far-fetched, or strongly opposed by some parties.
Among the ideas being considered is transferring power within the Palestinian Authority from the current president, Mahmoud Abbas, to a new prime minister, while allowing Abbas to retain a ceremonial role.
They are also considering sending an Arab peacekeeping force to Gaza to support the new Palestinian administration there.
The report says they are also considering passing a resolution in the United Nations Security Council, with the support of the United States, that recognizes the Palestinians’ right to establish a state.
According to the Financial Times, various names are being discussed to head the new administration, and it’s believed that the most likely candidates are Salam Fayyad, former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, and Muhammad Mustafa, head of the Palestine Investment Fund.
Arab diplomats insist that it is up to the Palestinians to choose the composition of the administration that will focus on the reconstruction of Gaza and the management of the West Bank regions; Elections will be held after a transitional period, perhaps within two years.
An Arab diplomat said that Palestinian leaders do not object to the formation of a technocratic government, but added that they need political guarantees in order to establish a Palestinian state to ensure it obtains legitimacy in the eyes of the Palestinians.
The diplomat said that there is coordination between Western and regional countries.
But ultimately, it will be up to Arab powers to do the heavy lifting to present a comprehensive plan that can then be adopted by the Biden administration, where the United States has the most leverage over Israel.
