Eight nations condemn Israel's rejection of Trump Gaza plan
The United Arab Emirates and seven other countries have condemned Israel's rejection of President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip. The condemnation, issued in a joint statement on Sunday, comes a week after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the 15-point proposal, stating that no military pullout would occur until Hamas is "genuinely" disarmed.
The foreign ministers of the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt issued their statement as Trump's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, were in Egypt for ceasefire-related talks. The statement urged Israel to meet its ceasefire obligations and avoid steps that could escalate tension.
Strikes and ceasefire violations
The joint statement followed Israeli strikes that have killed at least 16 Palestinians in Gaza since Tuesday, according to medics. Israel says it is targeting Hamas militants. The statement from Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar, which have been trying to mediate an end to the conflict, said the "intensification of Israeli attacks undermines regional and international efforts at a critical juncture, as intensive efforts are under way to implement the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict."
The international community and Trump's Board of Peace, which is overseeing the ceasefire, must take the necessary steps to ensure compliance and prevent further escalation, they added.
Conflicting visions for the roadmap
At the heart of the dispute is the sequencing of the roadmap. The proposed plan envisaged Hamas giving up its weapons in phases as Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza and halted military operations. However, Netanyahu has rejected that sequencing, insisting that Hamas must fully disarm before any Israeli withdrawal. Hamas, for its part, has demanded that Israel adhere to the ceasefire and withdraw its forces, and has disputed the sequencing of how Trump's plan should be implemented.
Trump's Board of Peace announced last month that it had reached a deal for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. The plan calls for Israeli troops to withdraw as Hamas gives up its weapons, with an international stabilization force working alongside a new Palestinian police force to secure Gaza.
Palestinian and regional reactions
Hamas, which avoided using the term "disarmament" in a July 30 statement, said it would hand over its weapons to a new Palestinian governing body that would govern Gaza under the supervision of the Board of Peace. Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas's leader, was in Cairo for talks on Sunday.
The foreign ministers' statement said that rejecting the roadmap "constitutes an explicit refusal to proceed with the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan, and directly threatens to derail the extensive efforts exerted by US President Trump to bring an end to the war in Gaza and establish the conditions for lasting peace." They added that "such rejection confirms that Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring peace in Gaza and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory."
Casualties and regional pressure
The death toll in Gaza has reached at least 1,283 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect last October, according to Gazan health officials, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been killed. The sustained pressure from the eight countries, many of which have historically maintained close security ties with Israel, marks a shift in regional dynamics. Egypt, for instance, signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, a deal that turned a once-hostile border into a stable one. Now, these nations are collectively pressing for a different approach, warning that further escalation could unravel the fragile peace efforts.