Arab countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt joined 17 other nations and the European Union on Tuesday in calling for Hamas to disarm and give up control of Gaza. The announcement came as part of a joint declaration at a United Nations conference focused on reviving the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.
The declaration stated, “In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State.”
This move marks a shift in regional politics, as it is one of the first times several Arab nations have openly called for Hamas to step down from power in Gaza. It follows a proposal by the Palestinian delegation on Monday, which urged both Israel and Hamas to leave the coastal territory so the Palestinian Authority could take over its administration.
The seven-page declaration also condemned the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel that left over 1,200 people dead. The UN General Assembly has not yet officially condemned those attacks.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called the declaration “historic and unprecedented.” He said, “For the first time, Arab countries and those in the Middle East condemn Hamas, condemn October 7, call for the disarmament of Hamas, call for its exclusion from Palestinian governance, and clearly express their intention to normalize relations with Israel in the future.”
The declaration was signed by France, Britain, Canada, and other Western nations. It also included a proposal for foreign forces to potentially help stabilize Gaza once the war ends.
Neither Israel nor its main ally, the United States, took part in the New York conference.
The ongoing war, now in its 21st month, began after the Hamas attacks in October 2023. Israel responded with massive military operations that have devastated Gaza, killing tens of thousands and destroying much of its infrastructure.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy used the conference to announce that the UK could recognize a Palestinian state as early as September—if Israel does not agree to key conditions, including a ceasefire and allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza.
French President Emmanuel Macron has also said he plans to officially announce France’s recognition of Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly in September.
Despite decades of support for a two-state solution from the global community, many now fear that continuous war, Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, and Israeli leaders openly discussing annexation could make a future Palestinian state geographically impossible.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced concern on Monday, saying, “The two-state solution is farther than ever before.”
Later on Tuesday, 15 Western nations including France and Spain reiterated their strong support for the two-state solution. Among them, nine countries that have not yet recognized Palestine—such as Australia, Canada, and Portugal—expressed openness to doing so in the near future.
