Egypt, UAE and seven nations issue joint UN statement on Gaza

Foreign ministers from Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia issued a joint statement on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. The ministers expressed deep concern regarding the ongoing humanitarian suffering in Gaza and called on Israel to immediately fulfill its obligations under the first phase of a comprehensive plan. This includes ensuring the immediate, safe, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid and early recovery supplies, as well as facilitating the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure.

The statement emphasized the necessity of a ceasefire and the cessation of all violations. It outlined a roadmap for a second phase involving the disarmament of weapons alongside a full Israeli withdrawal, the deployment of an international stability force, and the assumption of responsibilities by a national committee to manage Gaza. The ministers also rejected any measures aimed at the forced displacement of the Palestinian people or attempts to change the demographic or geographic character of the occupied territories.

Additionally, the ministers condemned illegal actions intended to consolidate Israeli control, such as settlement expansion, land confiscation, and home demolitions. They expressed concern over measures undermining the status of holy sites in Jerusalem and welcomed recent international efforts, including those by the United Kingdom, to respond to illegal settlement activity.