Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Saturday that stability in Gaza will remain elusive as long as Israeli forces continue to occupy parts of the enclave, stressing the need for a clear timeline for withdrawal.
Under a US-brokered ceasefire reached last month between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Israeli forces have withdrawn to the so-called “yellow line”, leaving them in control of about half of the territory. Israel has also continued with sporadic strikes.
Speaking during the IISS Manama Dialogue, an annual security summit in Bahrain, Mr Safadi stressed that security would remain a “challenge” as long as Israel maintains its occupation of parts of the war-ravaged enclave.
“It is imperative that we have a timeline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza,” he said.
Israel is required to pull back further from the line as more provisions of the truce agreement are fulfilled. Although the line had initially been invisible to Palestinians in the enclave, the military has since begun to place large concrete blocks to demarcate it, sparking confusion and concern among Gazans of a permanent Israeli presence.
“We have to deploy the Palestinian police, make sure that we have clear scope of work for the Palestinian police vis-à-vis the international stabilisation force that needs to be there and work out a mechanism for dealing with Israeli troops that are staying in Gaza,” Mr Safadi said.
The first phase of the ceasefire deals with the return of living and dead Israeli hostages, as well as the entry of humanitarian aid. Later, the plan would see the establishment of an international stabilisation force that will help to ensure the ceasefire is maintained. Negotiations are continuing among UN Security Council members and regional powers over the structure of the mission.
“We all agree that in order for that stabilisation force be able to be effective in getting the job done, it has to have a [UN] Security Council mandate so that other countries can come in, and so that we really work out the details of the interfacing between the international force and the Palestinian force, which, again, must be in charge of security of the Palestinians,” said Mr Safadi.
He stressed that Palestinians must be ruled by their own people. “With all due respect, it's not going to work to bring people from outside the region to rule Gaza. And that's why I think the discussion now is on a Palestinian-aided, apolitical, diplomatic commission that somehow has to be linked to the [Palestinian Authority]".
Last month, political leaders from around the world convened in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh, on the Red Sea coast, for a ceremony to sign the ceasefire deal in Gaza.
US President Donald Trump declared “peace in the Middle East” at the summit. The deal paused more than two years of war in Gaza that had killed more than 68,000 Palestinians in Israeli attacks and left much of the enclave in ruins.
“Unilateral measures that undermine the two-state solution must be stopped,” said Mr Safadi, adding that “now is not the time for the two-state solution but now is absolutely the time to protect the two-state solution”.
While the process has been largely brokered by the US and regional powers, European states have also sought a seat at the table.
Speaking at the conference, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said his country was “ready to play a role with Egypt on reconstruction, in Gaza, in Palestine, with Egypt and others”.
Egypt, along with the US, Qatar and Turkey, has served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas throughout the war.
'Another regional hotspot'
While the war in Gaza and its repercussions have dominated the headlines, attention has also been on Syria as its new leaders have found their footing almost a year since ousting the Assad regime.
Mr Safadi described the events in the past year as a “success story thus far” and said Syria was “another regional hotspot”.
“We must do everything we can to help the Syrian government in its efforts to rebuild Syria on grounds that guarantee its security, territorial integrity, the safety of its people and representation of all its citizens,” he said.
Mr Wadephul said his country is “ready to accompany and to support Syria” and is “committed to a positive future” for Damascus.
The German minister visited Syria last week, where he met President Ahmad Al Shara and Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani.
“I can see that Syria is much freer than it was one year ago,” he said. “The political process still needs to become more inclusive and participatory. To put it simply, minorities must be protected. The Syrian state should be one where everybody finds its place.”
While the new Syrian authorities have secured regional backing, they have struggled to find accommodations with minorities in the mainly Sunni Muslim country. Outbreaks of sectarian violence have deepened mistrust among religious minorities towards the new leadership.
