Paris Hosts an International Summit to Establish a Vision for the "Post-War" Phase in Gaza

The French capital, Paris, will host an intensive diplomatic summit on Thursday, bringing together foreign ministers from European and Arab countries in a step aimed at formulating a collective vision for the future of the Gaza Strip and enhancing the peace process, against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations in Sharm El Sheikh.

French diplomatic sources revealed that the meeting will seek to define "mechanisms for collective commitment" that support the "activation" of the Palestinian state, following a wave of recent Western recognitions. The discussion will revolve around a set of pivotal files, including the formation of an "international stabilization force," arrangements for "transitional governance in Gaza," as well as enhancing "humanitarian aid and reconstruction," the process of "disarming Hamas," and the best ways to support the "Palestinian Authority and Palestinian security forces."

This summit is held against the backdrop of intense diplomatic activity, as indirect negotiations are taking place in the Sharm El Sheikh resort in Egypt between Israel and Hamas, where mediators are striving to achieve a ceasefire. The summit also precedes a Paris meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah.

According to diplomatic sources, the central goal is to demonstrate "readiness to work together to activate the key criteria" for the "next day" phase after the end of the war, in "close cooperation with the United States," in addition to working on "clarifying mechanisms for collective commitment" in this regard.

This summit represents a natural continuation of the French-Saudi initiative supporting the two-state solution, which was previously crowned by the adoption of the "New York Declaration" in September regarding the recognition of the State of Palestine. It has also, according to sources, "facilitated the adoption of the American plan" to end the war in the sector. Representatives from France, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, as well as Indonesia, Canada, and Turkey are expected to attend the meeting.

An Italian diplomatic source expressed his country's full support for these efforts, stating to "France Press": "Our country is ready to participate in the political process for the post-war reconstruction and unification of Palestine," noting that Trump's plan represents "the only viable option and must be supported."

The source pointed out that "the Italian government is also ready to consider, as part of the contribution to the international stabilization force outlined in President Trump's plan, the possibility of deploying Carabinieri forces to train new police forces in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, where elements of the Italian Carabinieri are already present and their work there is highly praised." Rome also confirmed its readiness "to actively contribute to the medical and health infrastructure in the Gaza Strip."

At the same time, the ongoing negotiations in Sharm El Sheikh regarding the American president's plan face several challenges, as media reports indicated, citing sources, that there are outstanding issues between the parties. Hamas demands the release of elite members as part of a prisoner exchange deal, and the release of 6 leaders including Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Sa'adat. They also demand an Israeli withdrawal from populated areas to hand over prisoners and remains, and to ensure that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not return to war after handing over the prisoners. The maps for the Israeli withdrawal remain one of the outstanding issues as well.

Sources indicated that the process of handing over the remains of the detainees will take longer than what Trump's plan specified, while Hamas demands the entry of 400 aid trucks daily into the sector.

The Sharm El Sheikh talks witnessed broad participation, including Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, along with the head of Egyptian intelligence.

This simultaneous diplomatic movement between Paris and Sharm El Sheikh comes at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump expressed cautious optimism, stating that "the next two days will be crucial" regarding the release of detainees and ending the war in Gaza, considering that there is a "real opportunity" to reach a peace agreement in Gaza.