Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said on Tuesday the UN Security Council's adoption of a resolution endorsing U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza was a necessary first step on a long road towards peace.
The Security Council on Monday adopted the U.S.-drafted resolution, which also authorises a multinational security force to be deployed to Gaza. The text of the resolution also says member states can join a Board of Peace that would oversee the reconstruction and economic recovery of the shattered territory.
"The UN resolution is the first step in a long road towards peace. That step was needed because we could not embark on anything else before we had a ceasefire," Shahin told reporters in Manila during a visit to the Philippines.
Shahin said there were still other issues that needed to be addressed, including Palestinian self-determination and eventual Palestinian independence, and that the process for implementing Trump's plan must be governed by international law.
She said that although Trump's plan alludes to possible Palestinian statehood only after the PA carries out reforms, that issue could be taken up later.
"As long as these elements are in there, we're happy with this first step," Shahin said.
The Palestinian Authority, based in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, earlier welcomed the vote and has said it is ready to take part in Trump's plan, which doesn't outline a clear role for the PA.
European and Arab states have said that Gaza must be governed by the Palestinian Authority and that there must be a clear pathway to Palestinian independence. The Israeli government, which opposes the idea of an independent Palestinian state, rejects any involvement by the Palestinian Authority.
Under the initial stage of Trump's plan, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on October 10. Both sides have accused each other of violating the truce, but it continues to hold. Hamas has since released most of the hostages from Gaza. The remains of three deceased hostages are still held.
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further militar...
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or a...
Pakistan has declared hepatitis C a national emergency and launched a nationwide campaign to screen more than 164 million people, as it steps up effor...
French DJ and electropop musician Kavinsky, whose atmospheric sound shaped a generation of electronic music fans, has died at the age of 50, French authorities said on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
Yemen warned the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy in the Red Sea, as U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a "good chance" of a deal with Tehran but warned strikes could resume if talks failed.
Moscow should stop linking Russia-Armenia relations to Azerbaijan, Baku's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada has said, after Russia again raised the Collective Security Treaty Organisation's role during the former Garabagh conflict.
Pakistani businesses are warning that growing difficulties in obtaining United Arab Emirates (UAE) visas are disrupting trade, delaying investment and limiting access to a key export market, despite both Islamabad and Abu Dhabi saying there is no official visa ban.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted three tankers and stopped them in Iran's southern waters early on Wednesday. It also announced a ballistic missile attack on two U.S. bases in Jordan.
On 29 July, AnewZ's Daybreak focused on meetings involving Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Benjamin Netanyahu, escalating tensions in the Middle East following U.S. military action, and the funeral of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.
The European Union has added Russian energy company Inter RAO to its latest sanctions package, raising questions over the future of Georgia's power sector. The move could have implications for electricity supplies in Tbilisi because of the company's indirect ownership of key energy assets.
Russia’s largest retailer Wildberries has begun searching for warehouse space in Kazakhstan, Moscow’s Kommersant newspaper has reported, citing sources in the real estate market. It comes after Ukrainian drone strikes damaged around 10 per cent of the online marketplace's logistics hubs in Russia.
Yerevan has seen a surge in Russians seeking apartments ahead of Moscow's parliamentary elections in September and amid rumours of mass mobilisation, Russian-language publication Verstka has reported, citing anecdotal evidence from local estate agents.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment