By Pervaiz Mughal
ISLAMABAD: Foreign ministers from eight Islamic countries have condemned Israel’s rejection of a proposed roadmap for implementing the US-backed plan to end the war in Gaza, warning that the move could undermine efforts to secure a lasting peace and establish a Palestinian state.
The joint statement was issued on Sunday by Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The ministers said Israel’s rejection of the roadmap, as well as its opposition to Palestinian statehood, amounted to a repudiation of the wider plan and threatened to derail international efforts to end the conflict.
The ministers said the roadmap had been accepted by Palestinian factions and represented the outcome of extensive diplomatic efforts by mediators, including Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye and the United States. They described it as an important step towards ending the war and beginning the reconstruction of Gaza.
Under the roadmap, the process was expected to include the decommissioning of weapons alongside the withdrawal of Israeli forces. It also envisaged the deployment of an international stabilization force, the transfer of administrative authority in Gaza to a national committee and the reconstruction of the territory.
The ministers said Israel’s rejection risked obstructing these arrangements and called for sustained US engagement to ensure that the commitments under the plan were implemented. They said Israel would bear responsibility for any consequences arising from continued rejection, obstruction or delays, including a further deterioration of conditions on the ground and disruption of efforts to end the war.
The eight countries called for the immediate implementation of the comprehensive plan to address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, restore stability and create conditions for reconstruction and recovery.
They also reaffirmed their support for Palestinian self-determination and statehood under international law.
The ministers rejected unilateral attempts to deny or prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. They said a lasting peace could only be achieved through a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, in line with relevant United Nations resolutions.
The ministers also stressed the continued role of the Board of Peace and urged all parties to support its efforts to implement the roadmap and advance the second phase of the US president’s comprehensive plan.
They called on the board, with active US support, to take immediate measures to protect the integrity of the plan and prevent any party from blocking its implementation.
#Gaza #GazaWar #Israel #Palestine #PalestinianState #Pakistan #Egypt #Türkiye #Indonesia #Jordan #Qatar #SaudiArabia #UAE #MiddleEast #GazaCrisis #IsraelPalestine #TwoStateSolution #PalestineStatehood #Ceasefire #Peace #UnitedNations #US #MuslimCountries #InternationalRelations #MiddleEastCrisis
