Under the plan for the Gaza Strip presented by Arab leaders, the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas must have "no role" in the Gaza Strip in the future, officials from five European countries confirmed today after a meeting of the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
In a statement on behalf of France, Denmark, Greece, Slovenia and the United Kingdom, the chargé d'affaires of the French mission to the UN in New York, Jay Darmadikari, said that "it is clear that the future plan must not give any role to Hamas, that it must ensure the security of Israel, there must be no displacement of Palestinians from Gaza."
The plan "should support the unity of the (occupied) West Bank and the Gaza Strip under the mandate of the Palestinian Authority," he added.
Arab leaders on Tuesday agreed on a plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the return of Palestinian authority, presented as an alternative to US President Donald Trump's plan to place the territory under American control.
At a meeting of Arab League countries in Cairo, Palestinians were called upon to unite under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), excluding Hamas because it is not part of it.
"We welcome regional efforts to mobilize around a unified plan for the next phase in Gaza and we stand ready to support and develop these ideas," Darmadikari said after a closed-door UN Security Council meeting.
France, Denmark, Greece, Slovenia and the United Kingdom have called on Israel to allow "unconditional and massive" humanitarian aid into Gaza, saying it is "non-negotiable."
Israel decided on Sunday to cut off humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip amid disagreements with Hamas over the continuation of the shaky ceasefire that came into effect on January 19 after more than 15 months of war that devastated the Palestinian territory, but expired without any negotiations on its continuation, and was temporarily extended until the end of March at the suggestion of the United States.
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