Brussels - New York: Europe and the Arabs
US President Donald Trump will present "principles for peace and good governance" in Gaza after the war to a group of Arab and Muslim leaders on Tuesday, according to US and Arab officials.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt told reporters Monday evening that Trump will hold a multilateral meeting with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan.
According to the American website Axios, in addition to releasing the hostages and ending the war, Trump is expected to discuss principles for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and good governance after the war, without involving Hamas.
Under the headline "Arab support for the plan," the European news network in Brussels, Euronews, reported:
The United States also wants Arab and Islamic countries to agree to sending military forces to Gaza to enable Israel's withdrawal and to secure Arab and Islamic funding for the transitional period and for the reconstruction of the Strip.
The website quoted an American official as saying: "Tuesday's meeting could be very important. We have a good idea of ​​the outlines of ending the war. We want to present what we believe is the only viable path forward, and we want regional support and endorsement to make it a success."
According to Axios, Arab and American officials insisted that this would be an American plan, not simply an Israeli plan presented by the Trump administration.
An Israeli official stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is familiar with the outlines of the plan, but also knows that there are parts that the Israeli government will not like—particularly regarding future Palestinian Authority involvement in Gaza. "There will be a bitter pill to swallow," the Israeli official said.
According to the same website, it is unclear whether Trump will also discuss the Gaza proposals in his speech to the UN General Assembly, which will be held hours before the meeting.
Under the headline "Dead End," Euronews reported that negotiations on an agreement to end the war in Gaza and free prisoners have reached a dead end, while the Israeli military operation continues with three armored and infantry divisions to occupy Gaza City. At the United Nations headquarters in New York, a conference in support of the two-state solution concluded with France and several other European countries recognizing a Palestinian state.
During her speech at the UN General Assembly, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Jaya Kallas addressed the situation in Gaza, stressing that all European countries support the two-state solution and that Brussels is working to improve the humanitarian situation in the Strip. She also revealed that the European Union will consider imposing sanctions on Israel next month, but clarified that recognizing a Palestinian state is a sovereign decision for each individual country.
In this context, the newspaper Volkskrant in The Hague quoted the Dutch news agency as saying that the Netherlands is willing to recognize a Palestinian state in the future. Outgoing Dutch Foreign Minister David van Wiel (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy) indicated at a UN conference that the Netherlands is willing to recognize a Palestinian state in the future. Van Wiel said, "The Netherlands will recognize a Palestinian state at a later stage as part of a political process that must begin now." Van Wiel did not specify a timeframe for recognizing a Palestinian state.
At the UN meeting, Van Wiel reiterated the Netherlands' support for the two-state solution. The minister said, "We must put an end to this ongoing violence that Palestinians and Israelis have suffered for so long."
Under the headline "Belgium and Luxembourg also wish to recognize a Palestinian state," the Dutch news agency reported that Belgium and Luxembourg will also recognize the State of Palestine, as outlined at the UN General Assembly in New York. In recent days, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, among other countries, have announced their recognition of the Palestinian state.
Belgian Prime Minister De Wever imposed some conditions, saying that recognition of the state "should not be a reward for Hamas." Belgium would also not recognize the state until all hostages were released.
Luxembourg's Prime Minister, Luc Frieden, described recognition as "the only path to lasting peace."
After French President Emmanuel Macron recognized the Palestinian state, Saudi Arabia called on other countries to take the same "historic action." Monaco followed suit shortly after.
Israel and the United States criticized this situation, considering the recognition a reward for the Palestinian Hamas movement, which attacked Israel nearly two years ago. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated at the United Nations in New York that it is unacceptable to undermine the two-state solution. "Because the only realistic peace plan is based on two states. With a secure Israel, a viable Palestinian state, and the end of the scourge of Hamas."
The German politician reiterated that the tragedy in Gaza must end immediately, and the hostages must be released. "But ending the war may not be enough if there is no path to peace," she said, when the two-state solution becomes impossible.
Von der Leyen announced the establishment of a Palestinian donor group dedicated to the reconstruction of Gaza. "Any future Palestinian state must be economically viable," she said. Von der Leyen added that the Israelis and Palestinians must agree on the way forward, but that the international community can contribute and facilitate.