Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair unveils Gaza peace plan

[Mrs. Sharon B. Hodge]

Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair unveils Gaza peace plan
By Christophe de Roquefeuil



MIDDLE East peace envoy Tony Blair and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said they were still hopeful for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, unveiling details of a peace plan.

"There is no doubt at all now that there are not just the elements but the details of a plan," Mr Blair said, representative of the diplomatic quartet of the European Union, Russia, the US and the United Nations.

Briefing reporters, the pair revealed new details of a draft accord which Egypt has proposed to Israel and Hamas to end the latest fighting.

Mr Kouchner confirmed it includes a renewable one-year ceasefire, the withdrawal within five to seven days of Israeli forces from Gaza and a reopening of Gaza's frontier crossings, which Israel and Egypt have blocked.

"The basis of that plan is very clear. It is on the one hand actions to stop the smuggling of weapons into Gaza and on the other hand the opening of crossings so that Gaza can be rejoined with the outside world," Mr Blair said.

"Over the last few days, the details have been discussed and worked on, and I think actually there is plainly a credible plan to stop, and people want to stop. So I hope very much, in a short space of time, there is a stop."

Speaking alongside Mr Blair in Paris, Mr Kouchner welcomed the visit by Israeli military negotiator Amos Gilad to Cairo, where he held talks on a French-backed Egyptian initiative to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas.

"It appears to me that this will lead to the ceasefire we hope for, insist upon, as quickly as possible," Mr Kouchner said.

Separately, France's President Nicolas Sarkozy thanked his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak for his efforts in promoting the peace plan.

A statement from Mr Sarkozy's office said the French leader had called Mr Mubarak to thank him for his continued efforts just over a week after the pair met in Cairo to draw up the initiative.

Hamas and Israel are both studying the plan, but neither has formally accepted it and fighting continues in Gaza, where on Thursday a Red Cross hospital was in flames and the Palestinian death toll climbed past 1100.