Eight Arab and Islamic countries say Israel is obstructing Gaza peace efforts

After the ceasefire and the withdrawal of the Israeli army, Palestinian families who returned to the city of Beit Lahia carry on with their lives with limited means among the buildings reduced to rubble by Israeli attacks in Gaza on October 28, 2025. [Abdalhkem Abu Riash – Anadolu Agency]

The foreign ministers of eight Arab and Islamic countries said on Sunday that Israel bears responsibility for obstructing efforts to achieve peace in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.

The statement was issued jointly by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and was published by the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

The ministers criticized Israel’s rejection of a roadmap for completing the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza conflict, which was endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803.

Their statement followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection a week earlier of a 15-point roadmap approved by the Peace Council and accepted by Hamas. Netanyahu has maintained that Hamas must disarm before Israel proceeds with further military withdrawal from Gaza.

READ: Hamas calls for full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and end to killing of Palestinians

The eight countries said they condemned “Israel’s declared rejection of the roadmap” as well as its opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

They argued that Israel’s position amounted to a rejection of the broader peace plan and risked undermining international efforts to reach a lasting settlement.

“This rejection confirms that Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing efforts to achieve peace in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory,” the ministers said.

According to the joint statement, the roadmap resulted from negotiations involving mediators from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United States and was accepted by Palestinian factions.

The ministers described the proposal as an important step toward implementing security arrangements in Gaza, including the disarmament of Palestinian factions alongside the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

READ: Israeli media claims Hamas personnel seized army engineering equipment in southern Gaza

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