ISLAMABAD – Eight influential Muslim nations that engaged with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on a plan to halt Israel’s invasion and alleged genocide in Gaza have offered a measured welcome to “the steps taken by Hamas,” the Foreign Office (FO) announced on Sunday.
The development comes days after Hamas stated on Friday that it would agree to some of the terms of the Trump plan—which was unveiled earlier in the week following a meeting between the U.S. President and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—and seek further negotiations. The Muslim nations view Hamas’s partial agreement as a potential breakthrough for a ceasefire after nearly two years of sustained Israeli onslaught in Gaza.
The joint statement, released by Pakistan’s FO, noted that the foreign ministers recognized the opportunity for de-escalation: “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 Turkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt, today welcomed the steps taken by Hamas regarding U.S. 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.”
The ministers also welcomed Trump’s call on Israel to immediately stop the bombing in Gaza and begin implementing the prisoner-hostage exchange agreement, underscoring their belief 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.”
Crucially, the foreign ministers also welcomed Hamas’s announcement of its “readiness to hand over the administration of Gaza to a transitional Palestinian Administrative Committee of independent technocrats.”
Netanyahu’s Intervention and Core Objections
The Israeli offensive began in October 2023 following a Hamas attack, and since then, more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed, with millions displaced. UN investigators last month accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
Despite engaging with the Trump administration to bring the invasion to an end, reservations have persisted among the Muslim nations that the plan unveiled by the White House was not the one originally agreed upon.
Reports from the U.S. news outlet Axios indicated that the deal currently before Hamas was significantly altered due to Netanyahu’s intervention, specifically last-minute edits secured during a meeting with White House envoys. These changes tied Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza to progress in disarming Hamas, giving Israel veto power over the process and allowing its forces to remain within a security perimeter even after withdrawal phases were completed.
Axios reported that officials from several engaged nations, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Turkiye, were “furious” over the alterations behind the scenes. Qatar reportedly attempted to persuade the Trump administration to withhold the detailed plan due to these core objections, but the White House proceeded with its release.
Nevertheless, the foreign ministers reiterated their joint commitment to support efforts towards the proposal’s implementation to achieve an immediate end to the war, ensure unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid, prevent the displacement of the Palestinian people, guarantee the release of hostages, and ultimately pave a path for a just peace on the basis of the two-state solution.
