On Monday, Egypt expressed its readiness to participate in a prospective international force for Gaza, contingent on a UN Security Council resolution and the establishment of a “political horizon,” as ceasefire talks continued in Cairo.
Egypt has consistently advocated for Palestinian unity under the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which leads the Palestinian Authority and excludes the militant group Hamas.
The Palestinian Authority governed the Gaza Strip until 2007 when it lost control to Hamas during violent conflicts. Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, ignited the ongoing war in the region.
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“We are prepared to assist and contribute to any international force deployed in Gaza under specific conditions,” stated Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during a joint press conference with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa at the Rafah border crossing on Monday.
“Firstly, we need a Security Council resolution, a clear mandate, and of course, it must come with a political horizon,” Abdelatty emphasized.
“Deploying forces without a political horizon would be meaningless,” he added.
Abdelatty highlighted that a political framework would enable international troops to operate more effectively and assist Palestinians in achieving their independent state.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mustafa mentioned that a temporary committee would oversee the territory post-war, with full authority under the Palestinian government.
“We are not forming a new political entity in Gaza. We are reactivating the State of Palestine’s institutions and government in Gaza,” he explained.
While Hamas has previously supported the formation of a temporary committee for relief, reconstruction, and governance, it remains uncertain if the group will relinquish control.
In an interview with Fox News, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel plans to take full control of Gaza but does not intend to govern it.
“We don’t want to keep it,” Netanyahu said, noting Israel’s desire for a “security perimeter” and to hand the territory to “Arab forces that can govern it without posing a threat.”
On Monday, Hamas negotiators in Cairo received a new ceasefire proposal, according to a Palestinian official, with Qatar’s prime minister in Egypt to push for a truce.
