Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend an international meeting on Gaza in Paris on Thursday, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Senior diplomats from Europe, the Arab world, and other partner countries will meet in Paris to discuss the transition in Gaza and coordinate international efforts to support a permanent cease-fire, French diplomatic sources earlier told Anadolu Agency (AA).

The meeting aims to reaffirm support for the U.S.-backed plan proposed by President Donald Trump to end the war in Gaza and to define “the main parameters of the day after,” including stabilization, reconstruction, and governance of the enclave.

According to the sources, the discussions will be held “in close coordination with the United States” and will also involve Israel. The session will begin at 5 pm local time (1500GMT).

The meeting builds on the Franco-Saudi initiative for a two-state solution, which led to the New York Declaration and paved the way for the adoption of the American plan.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not be attending the meeting but Washington is likely to be represented, diplomatic sources said.

The meeting will be held in parallel with indirect talks that are under way between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh on U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza.

Rubio had been initially expected to attend, five diplomatic sources said, but his presence was ultimately not possible due to the government shutdown in the United States, two of the sources later said. A third confirmed the change in plans.

However, a U.S. official is still due to attend, although it was not clear who, the sources said. A European diplomatic source said it was vital for the U.S. to attend because nothing could move forward without Washington.

Details of Trump plan

The Paris meeting is intended to look at how Gaza would be governed, how Trump’s plan would be implemented and assess other countries’ collective commitments to the process.

“There are a lot of ambiguities in the Trump plan so it’s important to go into the details to ensure that if there is a cease-fire things progress quickly,” a European diplomat said.

Trump expressed optimism about progress towards a deal on Tuesday but crucial details are yet to be spelled out, including the timing, a future post-war administration for Gaza, the fate of Hamas and the prospects for an independent Palestinian state.

The U.N. Assembly last month endorsed a declaration outlining steps towards a two-state solution, while also condemning Hamas and urging it to surrender and disarm. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out endorsing an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Other countries attending in Paris on Thursday will include Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Canada.

A note sent to delegates had said U.S. participation would depend on advances in the talks in Egypt. The U.S. embassy in Paris did not immediately comment.

A French diplomatic source said the United States and Israel had been kept up to date with preparations.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Tuesday the meeting would discuss the framework of Trump’s plan, including deployment of an international force.

French proposals seen by Reuters outline a phased plan for training and equipping 10,000 Palestinian Authority security forces. The PA was driven out of Gaza by Hamas but Trump’s plan hints at a future role for it.

Under the proposals, a multinational stabilization force requiring a U.N. Security Council mandate and international financial support would be gradually deployed if a deal is reached – to monitor a cease-fire, oversee Hamas’ disarmament and support the transfer of security responsibilities to the PA.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sarr criticized the Paris conference late on Wednesday, calling it “unnecessary and harmful” and saying the French initiative had been “concocted behind Israel’s back”.

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