The UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia and Turkiye issued a joint declaration alleging Israel’s military campaign in Gaza violates international law and threatens efforts to implement the next phase of Donald Trump’s peace framework.
The United Arab Emirates joined seven other Muslim-majority countries on Thursday in issuing a strongly worded joint statement condemning Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, warning that the offensive could derail US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace framework aimed at ending the conflict.
The declaration was signed by the foreign ministers of the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The ministers argued that Israel’s continued military operations are obstructing international efforts to implement the next phase of the Gaza peace plan, particularly after Palestinian factions accepted the roadmap announced by Trump.
The coordinated statement reflects an unusual diplomatic alignment among countries that often differ in their regional policies. It brings together the UAE, which maintains diplomatic ties with Israel and is a close US security partner, and Turkey, one of Israel’s strongest critics.
The eight nations accused Israel of acting in violation of international law and warned that the continued fighting risks undoing months of diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a lasting ceasefire.
According to the joint statement, Israel’s conduct in Gaza ”constitutes a clear breach of Israel’s obligations under international law and the comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict, undermines international and regional efforts aimed at implementing the second phase of the plan, particularly following the announcement by US President Donald Trump that the Palestinian factions accepted the roadmap, including the provisions relating to the confinement of weapons.”
The diplomatic representatives cautioned that Israel’s actions ”threaten to derail the political process, reignite the cycle of escalation, and further deepen the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.”
The joint announcement coincides with mounting ambiguity surrounding the execution of Trump’s armistice proposal. That blueprint called for Hamas to commence handing over its arms in exchange for Israel halting combat operations and executing a step-by-step military drawdown from the enclave.
The top diplomats voiced intense disapproval regarding Israel’s ongoing strikes across Gaza, emphasising the damage inflicted on critical non-military installations.
”The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, the State of Qatar, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Turkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Arab Republic of Egypt express their strongest condemnation and denunciation of the ongoing Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip, particularly the targeting of healthcare facilities and medical infrastructure, attacks on civilian infrastructure, and the continued loss of civilian lives, including women and children, in grave violation of international law, including international humanitarian law.”
The leaders underscored that safeguarding non-combatants, medical facilities, healthcare staff and aid personnel constitutes a mandatory obligation under international legal frameworks. They emphasised that vital humanitarian relief, comprising medical supplies and emergency assistance, must be permitted unhindered, secure and immediate passage to every section of the Gaza Strip.
Expanding their scope beyond Gaza, the foreign ministers maintained that the crisis cannot be isolated from broader events unfolding within the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The communique reaffirmed support for revived diplomatic endeavours centred on a two-state framework, while rejecting any measures aimed at annexing Palestinian lands or forcibly uprooting residents.
The declaration followed remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who reiterated that Israeli troops would remain in their current positions in Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed. Netanyahu also acknowledged disagreements with the Trump administration over the implementation of the proposed agreement.
“The Trump administration sent us a draft. We did not agree. It is not our draft. We sent our comments,” Netanyahu said. “This is our position. We stand firm on our interests, I believe, both wisely and resolutely.”
He added that Israeli forces would continue to “do whatever is necessary to protect themselves, our territory, and our citizens.”
The disagreement over whether Hamas should disarm before or alongside an Israeli troop withdrawal has emerged as one of the principal obstacles to advancing the next stage of the proposed ceasefire agreement.
With inputs from agencies
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