PARIS: The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to attend a ministerial meeting in Paris on Thursday, alongside representatives from European, Arab, and other nations, to discuss Gaza’s post-war transition, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing diplomatic sources.
The meeting will take place in parallel with indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Egypt, centered on US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza.
Its purpose is to explore how the plan could be implemented and to evaluate the collective commitments of participating countries.
A briefing note sent to delegates, cited by Reuters, indicated that the meeting would build on discussions held at a recent United Nations conference focused on a two-state solution.
It aims to identify coordinated actions that could contribute to advancing the US initiative. The two-state solution envisions the creation of an independent Palestinian state existing alongside Israel.
Countries expected to participate on Thursday include France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, and various regional nations.
The note also stated that Washington’s participation would be contingent on progress made during the ongoing talks in Egypt.
A European diplomatic source, cited by Reuters, said it was vital to have the United States present. An Italian diplomatic source, cited by Reuters, underlined the importance of supporting Trump’s plan, which was “the only one possible.”
A French diplomatic source said the United States and Israel had been kept up to date with plans for the meeting, and the agenda would include humanitarian aid for Gaza and the enclave’s reconstruction, disarmament of Hamas, and support for the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian security forces, Reuters reported.
Gaza death toll rises to 67,183
At least 67,183 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since October 2023, the Health Ministry said.
A ministry statement said on Wednesday that 10 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours, while 61 people were injured, taking the number of injuries to 169,841 in the Israeli onslaught.
“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.
The ministry also noted that 11 people were injured by Israeli army fire while trying to get humanitarian aid in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed while seeking aid to 2,613, with over 19,164 others wounded since May 27.
The Israeli army resumed its attacks on Gaza on March 18 and has since killed 13,588 people and injured 57,800 others, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.
