LEILA FADEL, HOST:
For more on Trump's plan for Gaza, Omar Awadallah is on the line with us now. He is the Palestinian Authority's deputy foreign minister. Good morning, and thank you for joining us.
OMAR AWADALLAH: Good morning. Thank you for having me.
FADEL: So we haven't yet heard from Hamas and what it thinks of this plan, but what is glaring is Palestinians were not consulted in drawing it up. As you look at it, can it work to finally end the absolute horrors we're seeing in Gaza?
AWADALLAH: You know, actually, we think that the American president, Mr. Trump, he started this in January this year with the first ceasefire, and we believe now he can do it. And this is one of the priorities of the Palestinian government - to have the ceasefire, to stop the aggression on our people and to stop the transfer of our people in Gaza and all this bloodshed. So we believe that it is an opportunity what Mr. Trump came up with.
FADEL: As we heard, the plan calls for a transitional government that won't be overseen by Palestinians but by outsiders - President Trump, Tony Blair and others. What do you make of that?
AWADALLAH: You know, actually, there is a lot of things that we need to do first to end this aggression immediately, to end the genocide against the Palestinian people immediately. This is important and the priority for all of us - to end the famine in Gaza, that man-made famine that was used as a weapon of war in Gaza. So this is the priority.
And about the transitional government or transitional committee, I think we need so many work on this to change the dynamics and to enter into a dialogue, to enter into the details itself. This is a plan that needs a lot of action plans, and we're ready to engage. This is why we welcomed the efforts of Mr. Trump by announcing this plan. But we believe that there is a lot of details that we need to discuss, to understand and to work on.
FADEL: Well, that is my question, though, because this is about an immediate ceasefire but then a plan for the day after. And the plan calls for reform of the Palestinian Authority before the PA can ultimately lead and create what this deal says is a pathway to Palestinian self-determination. What will those reforms look like?
AWADALLAH: Actually, we - the reforms is a Palestinian priority. We've been - we started this reform with the current Palestinian government, which is in power for more than two years now. We believe that we are at the last stages of the reform process with the help and the assistance of the EU themselves. They are monitoring even our reform agenda. The reform will finish actually with the elections. And I don't believe that we will be waiting up until the elections while the war did not end in Gaza, while Israel did not withdrawal its occupation and occupying forces from Gaza. That will be difficult, I do believe. But the reform is a Palestinian priority, and we're working on it.
FADEL: Do you think Hamas will accept this plan?
AWADALLAH: I think this plan is an opportunity, and we believe that all the Palestinians - while the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people already welcome this plan, I do believe that all the Palestinians should welcome the efforts of Mr. Trump. Because we see it as an opportunity to end the bloodshed in Gaza and to end all the aggression on our people and to stop the forcible transfer and to protect our Palestinian people.
FADEL: The Palestinian Authority, though, is not seen as effective by the Palestinian people. It is not popular in this moment. Are you the future leaders legitimately in the eyes of the Palestinian people?
AWADALLAH: We believe that all future leaders of the Palestinian people will be chosen in an election - democratic one and transparent one.
FADEL: Omar Awadallah is the Palestinian Authority's deputy foreign minister. Thank you for your time.
AWADALLAH: Thank you. Thank you so much.
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