Afrasianet - Russian President Vladimir Putin has commented on the US proposal on Gaza, stressing that there are several questions about the management of the Gaza Strip by an international body, the most important of which is how long it will continue to work and how and to whom it will transfer power.. 

President Putin stressed that Russia is generally ready to support US President Donald Trump's proposal on the Gaza Strip, stressing that the transfer of administration should be to the Palestinian Authority.

Putin said during the session of the Valdai International Forum for Discussions: "On President Trump's proposal on Gaza, this may be surprising to you, but Russia is generally ready to support it. Of course, we have to study the proposals that have been made carefully, of course, provided that it leads to the end goal that we have always been talking about."

Russia had always called for the establishment of two States — Israel and Palestine, and that was the key to the final solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The Russian president expressed his belief that a glimmer of hope may appear at the end of the tunnel for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, saying: "It seems to me that there is some hope at the end of the tunnel, it may appear in spite of everything."

Regarding the proposal to create an international body that will run the Gaza Strip for a while, headed by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Putin said: "He is not known as a great peacemaker, but I know him personally. Moreover, I visited his house, his family home, and we drank coffee together in the morning in our pajamas. He is a man with his own opinions, an experienced politician, and in general, of course, if his activities, experiences and knowledge are directed towards a peaceful path, he can play a positive role."

But he noted that several questions were immediately raised: "How long will this international administration continue to operate, and how and to whom will power be transferred next?"

The President added: "As far as I understand, in this regard, the possibility of transferring power to the Palestinian Authority has been mentioned. In my opinion, it would be better in general to transfer everything to the administration of President Abbas and the current Palestinian Authority."

However, he acknowledged that it would be difficult for the current Palestinian Authority to address security-related issues.

"But, as I understand from the presentation of my colleagues with whom I spoke today on this subject, the possibility of transferring control of the Gaza Strip, including to the local police, is being considered to ensure security," Putin said. But is that bad? In my opinion, that's good."

The Russian president stressed that it is important to understand how long it will take the international administration to administer the Gaza Strip, the schedule for the transfer of civilian authority and security issues.

Putin pointed out that "we have contacts with Hamas, and it is important for us that Hamas support that as well, as well as that the Palestinian Authority support it."

Putin concluded by stressing that Russia's support for any initiative depends on its commitment to the two-state solution, and on the clarity of the mechanisms and timetable for the transfer of civil and security powers to the Palestinians, stressing that "international governance cannot be a permanent substitute for Palestinian sovereignty."

The Valdai International Dialogue Club is an organization of eminent experts from Russia and many countries, with a long history in political science, economics, history and international relations. The club was founded in 2004.