In a seismic shift for Middle Eastern diplomacy, Arab powerhouses including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar have jointly called for Hamas to disarm and relinquish control of Gaza, in a bid to end the 21-month war tearing through the Palestinian territory.
The statement, co-signed by 17 countries plus the EU and Arab League at a UN conference, urged Hamas to “hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority” with global backing to enable the long-promised two-state solution.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot hailed the text as “historic and unprecedented”, pointing out that it was the first time Arab states had explicitly condemned the October 7 Hamas attacks and pushed for their removal from Palestinian governance.
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The declaration also opens the door to foreign stabilisation forces in Gaza post-conflict and lays the groundwork for future normalisation of ties with Israel.
The UK and France said they could officially recognise a Palestinian state as early as September, should Israel fail to meet ceasefire and aid delivery conditions.
Meanwhile, the war’s toll continues to mount, with over 1,200 Israelis killed in Hamas’ initial assault and tens of thousands of Palestinians dead from Israel’s crushing response, which has razed most of Gaza’s infrastructure.
UN chief António Guterres warned bleakly that “the two-state solution is farther than ever before,” while 15 Western nations issued a joint statement reaffirming their “unwavering support” for Palestinian statehood amid growing fears it may soon be too late.
