Saudi Arabia plays a unique role in the burning issue of the Gaza war. She is head of the Arab Islamic Committee, which was formed after a summit in Riyadh in mid-November and is traveling to western capitals to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza. At the same time, it is increasing the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian coastal strip. In two and a half months of war, 33 Saudi cargo planes, loaded to the brim with first aid equipment, have landed at El-Arich airport in Sinai, Egypt, and four boats have docked in Port Said on the Suez Canal.
Also read: Live, Israel-Hamas war: Hamas leader arrived in Egypt for ceasefire talks
Saudi Arabia is also trying behind the scenes to find a solution to the conflict, which has claimed almost 20,000 lives on the Palestinian side. Le Monde has obtained a confidential document written by Abdelaziz Al-Sager, director of a Saudi think tank, the Gulf Research Center, outlining a plan to end the crisis. The text was developed after a meeting on November 19 in Riyadh between Mr Al-Sager and Anne Grillo, director of the North Africa and Middle East department at the Quai d'Orsay. It was then sent to the French Foreign Ministry.
The document suggests ways to halt hostilities in Gaza and stabilize the enclave. Most unique is the evacuation of “Hamas military and security leaders” to Algiers, a phrase that likely refers to Mohammed Deif, the commander of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the Islamist movement's armed wing, and possibly also Yahya Sinouar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, is very close to the military wing.
Deployment of an Arab troop
Algeria is mentioned as a possible exile destination for these men because of its good relations with Qatar and Iran, the “main supporters of the Hamas movement,” and its “security capability” that would allow it to “control the activities of these senior leaders.” . The idea is reminiscent of the evacuation of Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian fedayeen by boat in 1982 from the city of Beirut, which was then under siege by the Israeli army. The head of the Palestine Liberation Organization and his troops had reached Athens under the escort of the French navy before settling in Tunis.
Other points raised in Mr. Al-Sager's draft plan include the deployment of Arab peacekeepers in Gaza under a United Nations mandate and the creation of a “joint transitional council” that includes the main parties in Gaza (Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah), responsible for administering the enclave for four years and organizing presidential and parliamentary elections.
You still have 25% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.