France, Germany, Italy, and UK back Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan
The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, and the UK expressed their support on Saturday for the Egyptian plan on Gaza, which was endorsed at the emergency summit in Cairo earlier this week and formally adopted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Friday.
In a joint statement, the four ministers highlighted that the plan offers a “realistic path” for the reconstruction of Gaza and pledged that, if implemented, it would swiftly and sustainably improve the dire living conditions faced by Palestinians in the region.
Abdul Latif Al-Qanou, spokesperson for the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), stated that “efforts by Egyptian and Qatari mediators are continuing to finalize the ceasefire agreement and initiate negotiations for the next phase,” with signs of progress. He added that Hamas’s leadership delegation, which has been in Cairo since Friday, is discussing strategies to begin talks and pressure Israel to comply with the agreements made at the recent Arab summit.
In a related development, Israel has outlined a plan involving “escalating measures” aimed at increasing pressure on Hamas, which could potentially lead to renewed military action in Gaza. According to the Wall Street Journal, these measures began last week with Israel halting humanitarian aid to Gaza, citing Hamas’s rejection of a ceasefire proposal put forward by US President’s envoy Steve Witkoff. The proposal included extending the ceasefire and facilitating prisoner exchanges but did not include a formal declaration of war cessation.
Hamas condemned these actions, accusing the Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza by imposing collective punishment on over two million Palestinian civilians. In a statement, Hamas described this as a “war crime” and claimed it has continued for seven days, depriving Gaza’s residents of food, medicine, and essential resources.
Furthermore, Hamas condemned Israel’s treatment of prisoners held by the resistance, arguing that they too face the same deprivation of food and care. The statement further accused Netanyahu of being “fully responsible” for the humanitarian crisis, urging Arab nations and the United Nations to take immediate action to halt the “brutal crime” of starvation and siege, and to hold Israeli leaders accountable for their actions.
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