France says plan for post-war Gaza must ‘entirely’ exclude Hamas

PARIS - France on March 6 welcomed an

Arab plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip

under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority, adding that Islamist militant group Hamas should be “entirely” excluded from running the territory.

The proposal from Arab leaders “constitutes a serious and credible basis to respond to reconstruction, governance and security needs after the Gaza war”, French foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said.

But “the plan must entirely exclude Hamas from governing Gaza, where it must be disarmed and give Israel serious security guarantees”.

Arab leaders on March 4 endorsed a plan that would finance Gaza’s reconstruction through a trust fund, and would see the return of the Palestinian Authority to the territory.

ThePalestinian Authority had previously governed Gaza before losing power there in 2007 to Hamas.

Palestinians, Arab states and many European governments have rejected another proposal from US President Donald Trump for the United States to control Gaza, opposing any efforts to expel its people.

Mr Trump sparked global outrage last month by suggesting the

United States “take over” the Gaza Strip

and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”, while forcing its Palestinian inhabitants to relocate to Egypt or Jordan. AFP