Marco Rubio to attend Paris meeting on Gaza transition

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem, 15 September, 2025
Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to attend a ministerial meeting in Paris on Thursday with representatives of Europe, the Arab world and other nations to discuss Gaza's post-conflict transition, according to three diplomatic sources.

The meeting, which will run parallel to indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Egypt regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza plan, is aimed at discussing how the plan will be implemented and assessing collective commitments to the process.

A note circulated to delegates stated that the meeting would build upon a UN conference on a "two-state solution" and aims to agree on joint actions to contribute to the U.S. plan for Gaza. The two-state solution would create an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Countries attending the meeting on Thursday include France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia, Turkey, and Canada.

The note also mentioned that Washington's participation would depend on the progress of negotiations in Egypt.

A European diplomatic source emphasised the importance of having the United States present, while an Italian diplomatic source highlighted that supporting Trump's plan was "the only viable option."

A French diplomatic source confirmed that both the United States and Israel had been kept informed about the meeting's plans.

The agenda would include discussions on humanitarian aid for Gaza, reconstruction, the disarmament of Hamas, and support for the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian security forces.

The U.S. Embassy in Paris could not be reached for immediate comment.

Tags