ISLAMABAD: The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia, Turkiye, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan this week backed US President Donald Trump’s plan to restore peace in Gaza, reaffirming their readiness to engage constructively with Washington and all parties toward finalizing and implementing the agreement.
Trump’s proposal, contained in a 20-point document released by the White House, includes a ceasefire agreement, an exchange of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of Gaza with the assistance of the international community.
The American president presented his Gaza and the Middle East peace plan during his meeting with the leaders of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkiye, Indonesia and other Muslim states in New York last week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.
“The foreign ministers of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Türkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt welcome President Donald J Trump’s leadership and his sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza, and assert their confidence in his ability to find a path to peace,” a joint statement from all countries, shared by Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Monday night, read.
The statement said the ministers welcomed Trump’s proposal to end Israel’s war in Gaza, rebuild the area and the American president’s announcement that he would not allow the West Bank’s annexation.
“The ministers affirm their readiness to engage positively and constructively with the United States and the parties toward finalizing the agreement and ensuring its implementation, in a manner that ensures peace, security, and stability for the peoples of the region,” the joint statement said.
The foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to work with Washington on a “comprehensive deal” that ensures unrestricted delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid to Gaza, no displacement of the Palestinians, the release of hostages, a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all sides and full Israeli withdrawal, the statement said.
The joint statement also said the Muslim nations would back the deal to bring peace in the region on the basis of the two state solution, “under which Gaza is fully integrated with the West Bank in a Palestinian state in accordance with international law as key to achieving regional stability and security.”
The joint statement came a few hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif backed Trump’s Gaza peace plan, praising the American president for his leadership and efforts to bring an end to the nearly two-year-old Israeli onslaught.
Separately, Pakistan’s Deputy PM Ishaq Dar received a call from Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Monday night, the Pakistani foreign office said. The two leaders discussed the Gaza peace plan during their conversation.
“Both leaders reaffirmed the importance of coordinated regional and international diplomacy to bring an immediate end to the suffering of the Palestinian people and toward a just and lasting peace,” the foreign office said.
Israel has killed over 66,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, angering Muslim nations worldwide, who have held massive protests to demand an end to Israel’s military operations in occupied Palestinian territories.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also backed Trump’s plan. However, some elements seem to contradict the previously stated views of his government, in particular those related to the possibility of the Palestinian Authority eventually governing Gaza.
The plan also requires agreement from Hamas, which would be required to voluntarily disarm, effectively surrendering. Trump warned that should the group reject the deal, he could give Israeli authorities even more of a free hand to continue their military campaign in the war-ravaged territory.
