Eight Muslim nations welcome Hamas response to Gaza plan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and seven other Muslim states on Sunday “welcomed the steps taken by Hamas” and “reiterated their joint commitment to support efforts towards the implementation” of the Gaza peace plan.

The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Egypt and Jordan in a joint statement said they welcome “the steps taken by Hamas regarding US President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the war on Gaza, release all hostages, alive or deceased, and the immediate launch of negotiations on implementation mechanisms”.

At the same time, they also welcomed “Trump’s call on Israel to immediately stop the bombing and to begin implementation of the exchange agreement”.

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In this respect, the eight top Muslim nations — which took part in the process to work out the Gaza peace plan with Trump — “expressed appreciation for his commitment to establishing peace in the region”.

Talking about Hamas response, the statement read, “They also affirmed that such developments represent a real opportunity to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire, and to address the critical humanitarian conditions facing people in Gaza Strip.”

Meanwhile, the top diplomats of the eight Muslim nations especially appreciated Hamas’ stance over the future of Gaza, which showed “its readiness to hand over the administration of Gaza to a transitional Palestinian Administrative Committee of independent technocrats”.

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PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

To achieve the ultimate goals of the Gaza plan, they, however, “emphasized the need for the immediate launch of negotiations to agree on mechanisms to implement the proposal [Gaza peace plan] , and address all of its aspects”.

As the foreign ministers reiterated their joint commitment to support efforts “to work for the immediate end of the war on Gaza, and achieve a comprehensive agreement that ensures unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza”.

The statement also mentioned the urgent need for ensuring that there is “no displacement of the Palestinian people’ and “no measures are taken that threaten the security and safety of civilians” as well as as “the release of hostages”.

As the Palestinian Authority remains the sole recognised legitimate entity, the foreign ministers also listed “the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza, unifying Gaza and the West Bank” as the top priorities.

When it comes to a lasting peace, they also mentioned the need for “reaching a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all sides, in a manner that leads to the full Israeli withdrawal, and to the rebuilding of Gaza, and that creates a path for a just peace on the basis of the two-state solution”.

It’s a developing story. Details to follow.