Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
In an unprecedented move, Arab and Muslim states including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and Indonesia joined the 22‑member Arab League, the European Union, and 17 other countries in a joint declaration that Hamas must disarm and transfer power in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority (PA). This landmark statement was made during a United Nations conference co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France, aimed at reviving the two-state peace process.
The seven-page “New York Declaration” outlined the following:
- Governance, law enforcement, and security across Palestinian territory should be exclusively under PA authority, with international support.
- Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the PA.
- A temporary UN-sanctioned international stabilization mission may be deployed upon invitation from the PA.
The declaration also condemned the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and aligned with long-standing Western calls for a demilitarized Palestinian state.
France called the document “historic and unprecedented.” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot highlighted that this was the first time Arab leaders had publicly condemned Hamas and expressed a readiness for eventual normalization with Israel.
The PA’s role was reaffirmed as central to Gaza’s governance after the war, with an interim international force helping stabilize the enclave.
Reactions to the declaration were mixed. Israel and the United States boycotted the conference and rejected the plan. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to both the return of the PA to Gaza and the two-state solution.
In contrast, France and the United Kingdom have announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September, applying diplomatic pressure on Israel. Germany and other European countries are expected to follow.
Strategically, the declaration marks a major shift in regional diplomacy. Arab mediators who previously avoided direct criticism of Hamas are now supporting calls for its disarmament and removal from power. This aligns them more closely with Western positions and suggests new momentum behind the two-state solution.
The declaration also proposes an international peacekeeping presence, indicating growing global readiness to help manage Gaza’s post-conflict recovery. Though Hamas has shown no signs of relinquishing control, the joint statement represents a clear step toward reshaping the future political landscape of Gaza.
This move by Arab and Muslim states signals a new phase in Middle East diplomacy: one that pressures Hamas to step aside, empowers the Palestinian Authority, and reopens the conversation on Palestinian statehood with or without Israeli and U.S. support.
