2 janvier 2009
5
02
/01
/janvier
/2009
10:49

2. ELEMENTS FOR A STABLE CEASE-FIRE IN GAZA: The end of Hamas rockets and Israeli attacks needs a multilateral agreement and international involvement on the ground probably sanctioned by a UN Security Council resolution. The blockade on the movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza must end, along with the smuggling of arms from Egypt. Both the Rafah crossing with Egypt and the Erez crossing with Israel must be opened with strong involvment of EU and possibly Arab troops under the official management of the Palestinian National Authority, as demanded by Egypt. A UN monitoring and peackeeping mission made up of EU and Arab troops could assure the flow of humanitarian aide and the fullfilment of the terms of the ceasefire, including the protection of the civilian population.

3. INTERNAL PALESTINIAN AGREEMENT: A pre-requisite for a stable agreement and international involvement is an internal Palestinian agreement. Hamas and Fatah must accept the 1 year prolongation of the presidential term of Mahmoud Abbas that expires on January 9th and accept a return to the principles of Palestinian unity agreed upon in the Mecca agreement. New presidential elections should be convened in 2010. If no internal palestinian agreement or even a minumum modus vivendi between Hamas and Fatah there will be little hope for a stable cease-fire and the military option for a regime change in Gaza will remain on the table. No UN or International involvement will be possile without Israeli and Palestinian acceptance. There are some signs that Israel might now accept UN troops in Gaza.
4. GREATER ROLE FOR EU: The EU should support an inmediate cease-fire and the end of all hostilities on both. The EU police mission at the Rafah border crossing must be upgraded, possibly with a joint EU and Egyptian military mission, and made operable on the ground even at times of tension. The EU should support a binding UN resolution for a ceasefire backed up by a peacekeeping force that would be deployed in the border area and would insure the delivery of humanitarian aide. The EU must call for a new international peace conference to revive the Annapolis process and recognise the Arab Peace Initiative as basis for agreement.