Safadi says Arabs putting together plan to rebuild war-torn Gaza

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Friday said that Arab countries are putting together a plan to rebuild the war-torn Gaza Strip without displacing its population.

During his participation at the Munich Security Conference, Safadi said, "We are working on an Arab proposal that will show that we can rebuild Gaza without displacing its people, that we can have a plan that will guarantee security and governance," Safadi said, adding that Israel also had to think about how it wanted to see the region in 10 or 20 years time.

"Israelis also have to think long-term. For it to live in peace and security, its neighbours need to live in peace and security," he said.

Jordan’s top diplomat said that ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state is the guarantee to achieving peace and security in the region.

Safadi also participated in the conference on Syria hosted by France, where he met with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot.

During the meeting, Safadi said that there is an Arab-supported Egyptian plan that aims to rebuild the Gaza Strip without displacing its Palestinian residents, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

The two top diplomats reiterated rejection the displacement of Palestinians, with Safadi vocing appreciation for France’s support to the two-state solution as the path to achieving just and lasting peace, the statement said.

They also stressed the importance of supporting the Syrian people in rebuilding their country on the basis that guarantees the security of Syria and its territorial unity and the voluntary return of refugees, according to the statement.