Abbas said – during a phone call with German Chancellor Frederick Merz – that his priority now is to implement Trump’s plan in order to stop the war, stop the bloodshed, alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and prevent forced displacement.
Abbas considered that the next step must be the implementation of the second phase of the plan, “which is based on handing over the weapons of Hamas and the factions to the Palestinian state, and Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, thus opening the way for the entry of the Palestinian Administrative Committee and the Palestinian police, the deployment of the initial stabilization force, and the launch of the reconstruction process in an organized and effective manner.”
Abbas stressed the need to take parallel steps in the West Bank “to stop undermining the two-state solution,” including “stopping settler violence, stopping settlement expansion and the annexation policy, and releasing Palestinian clearance funds held by Israel, because this has a significant impact on economic and financial stability, and the ability of the Palestinian government to fulfill its obligations towards citizens.”
Abbas recondemned the attack on October 7, 2023. He said that Hamas must end its rule and surrender its weapons.
He affirmed Palestine’s commitment to recognizing the State of Israel and committing to the two-state solution: “May the independent State of Palestine live alongside the State of Israel in security and peace.”
Abbas touched on the steps taken by the Palestinian Authority to implement reforms, which included modernizing school curricula in accordance with UNESCO standards, establishing a unified social welfare system, abolishing the prisoner payments law, and preparing to go to general elections immediately after the end of the war and the availability of appropriate conditions for that.
The reform program that Abbas spoke about is part of the “authority’s” commitments to prepare itself to govern Gaza at the end of the Trump plan.
The “authority” is supposed to form an administrative committee and Palestinian police forces during the second phase, which Israel refuses to move to before obtaining the last body.
German call for reform
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In the phone call, the German Chancellor called on the Palestinian President to carry out “necessary and urgent reforms” in the “PA,” so that it can “perform a constructive role in the post-war system,” according to what German government spokesman Stefan Cornelius said. He also affirmed Germany’s support for US President Donald Trump’s peace plan in Gaza, and “welcomed the cooperative position of the Palestinian Authority” towards the agreement, according to the spokesman.
Meretz’s call with Abbas came hours before the chancellor left Berlin, today (Saturday), for a visit to Israel. In his call with Mahmoud Abbas, the Chancellor renewed Berlin’s position in that the two-state solution is still the best way to achieve peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians. According to a German government spokesman.
The remains of the last hostage
Israel informed the mediators that Hamas and Islamic Jihad know how to access the remains of Sergeant Ran Gvili, the remains of another Israeli who was detained in the Gaza Strip.
According to Channel 12 news, a delegation headed by Gal Hirsch, the government official in charge of the detainees’ file, traveled to Cairo on Thursday and demanded that mediators take measures to ensure the recovery of Gvili’s body.
An Israeli source stated that the talks in the Egyptian capital also dealt with the second phase of Trump’s peace plan in Gaza.
The mediators reportedly indicated to the Israeli delegation that Hamas is showing interest in adhering to the ceasefire agreement and freeing the hostages, and wants to move to the next stage, including disarming and disarming Gaza.
A Palestinian source told Asharq Al-Awsat that many issues are still pending, and there is no agreement or clear plan regarding them, including moving to the second phase.
The source accused Israel of trying to keep the situation in the Gaza Strip as it is. He added: “They want Gaza divided, and they are trying to prolong this situation, despite the many announcements about moving to the second stage.”
According to previous reports, Trump is supposed to announce the transition to the second phase, before Christmas, after an expected meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to whom Trump told in his last call that he expected him to be a “better partner” in the Gaza file.
The second phase of the agreement includes an additional Israeli withdrawal from parts of Gaza, the deployment of an international stabilization force, and the start of work on the new governance structure that includes a “peace council” led by Trump.
Mishal: We reject guardianship
The head of the Hamas movement abroad, Khaled Mushal, announced on Saturday that his movement rejects all forms of guardianship and mandate over the Gaza Strip, stressing that the Palestinians are the ones who govern themselves.
Meshaal said in his speech during the conference “The Covenant for Jerusalem: Towards Renewing the Will of the Nation in the Face of Liquidation and Extermination,” which was held in Istanbul, that the nation must decide to liberate Jerusalem, and harness all efforts and capabilities for the sake of Gaza and ensure the cessation of the war on it, rejecting “all forms of guardianship and mandate for the occupation over Gaza, the West Bank, and general Palestine,” stressing that “the Palestinian is the one who rules himself, and the one who decides for himself. There is neither guardianship nor mandate.” Mandate or reoccupation. Our people do not need protection or guardianship, and aspire to independence, not to mandate. This is our land, our homeland, and this is our destiny, and we are the ones who decide.”
Meshaal called for “protecting the resistance project and the resistance weapons,” and rejected the monopoly of decision-making regarding the issue. He said that national unity and partnership must be built “in the field of struggle, politics, and decision-making.”
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