RIYADH: Eight Muslim nations, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, on Sunday strongly condemned Israel’s rejection of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza.
Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkiye, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, in a joint statement, said such rejection confirms that Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring peace in Gaza and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
“These positions amount to a direct repudiation of the Comprehensive Plan, jeopardise its implementation, and fundamentally undermine the collective efforts undertaken to achieve a just and lasting peace,” the statement said, carried by Pakistan’s Foreign Office.
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Joint Statement by 8 Islamic Countries Condemning Israel’s Rejection of the Gaza Comprehensive Plan and Palestinian Statehood
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 16, 2026
Road map seen as key step toward ending Gaza war
The statement further said the Road Map, which has been accepted by the Palestinian factions, is the conclusion of extensive efforts exerted by the mediators, namely Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, the USA, the High Representative of Gaza and the Board of Peace and constitutes a vital milestone for the decommissioning of weapons concurrently with the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the deployment of the International Stabilisation Force, the transfer of the administrative authority to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza and the reconstruction of Gaza as stipulated in the Comprehensive Plan.
Ministers call for stronger US engagement
The ministers stressed the importance of continued and active US engagement to ensure Israel fully complies with its commitments and the arrangements outlined in the Comprehensive Plan and its Road Map. They also called for measures to prevent further delays, obstruction, or setbacks in their implementation.
The ministers further emphasised that Israel would bear direct and full responsibility for any consequences arising from continued rejection, obstruction, delay, or non-compliance, including any deterioration in the situation on the ground and any disruption to efforts aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
Muslim nations reaffirm support for Palestinian Statehood
The ministers reaffirmed the urgent need for the full and immediate implementation of the Comprehensive Plan to address the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, restore security and stability for its people, and create the conditions necessary for reconstruction and recovery.
They stressed that these efforts should also contribute to advancing a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace based on the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and statehood in accordance with international law.
The ministers categorically rejected any efforts to deny or prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, including through unilateral actions.
They emphasised that a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace can only be achieved through the implementation of the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
Any attempt to undermine or foreclose Palestinian statehood, they warned, would directly threaten prospects for peace, security, and stability across the region.
Board of Peace urged to advance Gaza road map
The ministers also underscored the continued importance of the Board of Peace and called on all parties to support its efforts to implement the Road Map and advance the second phase of President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan.
They further called upon the Board of Peace, with the active support and engagement of the United States, to take immediate and concrete measures within its mandate to uphold the integrity of the Comprehensive Plan and prevent any party from obstructing its implementation.
Trump’s envoy Kushner, in Egypt for Gaza Peace Plan talks
Earlier, US President Donald Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner discussed the US President’s plan for Gaza with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, hours after Hamas chief Khalil El-Hayya met with Cairo’s spymaster.
Kushner and El-Hayya, both in the Mediterranean city of El-Alamein, held separate talks on the implementation of Trump’s post-war plan for Gaza, which has largely been stalled since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was declared last October.
Also Read: Trump’s Envoy Kushner, Hamas Delegation in Egypt for Gaza Peace Plan Talks
The ceasefire slowed, but never completely stopped, Israeli attacks in the Palestinian territory, and a recently released roadmap for the next phase of the plan involves two of its thorniest prospects — Hamas’s disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Palestinian territory.
The meeting between Kushner and Sisi “emphasised the need for all parties to fulfil their obligations under the Gaza Strip ceasefire agreement”, according to presidential spokesperson Mohamed El-Shennawy.
Kushner is set to travel next to Israel, which publicly rejected the 15-point roadmap after Hamas had already agreed to it.
The Hamas delegation, in a meeting with Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, “reaffirmed commitment to completing US President Donald Trump’s plan”.
