NEW YORK / ISLAMABAD — SEPT 22 /DNA/ – Foreign ministers from eight key nations convened in New York on Monday, issuing a sharply worded joint statement that demands Israel immediately fulfill its outstanding obligations under the first phase of the Comprehensive Plan for Gaza, while endorsing President Donald J. Trump’s leadership in advancing the broader peace framework.
The meeting, held on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, brought together the top diplomats of Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia.
In their statement released Tuesday from Islamabad, the ministers expressed “deep concern over the continued humanitarian suffering in Gaza” and called on Israel to ensure the “immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance and Early Recovery supplies,” as well as to facilitate the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure. They stressed the “imperative of preserving the ceasefire and ending all violations.”
Road Map and Second Phase
The ministers emphasized that the Road Map is an “integral part” of the Comprehensive Plan and provides the framework for its Second Phase. That phase, they said, must include decommissioning alongside a full Israeli withdrawal, the deployment of the International Stabilization Force (ISF), the assumption of responsibilities across Gaza by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and the launch of Early Recovery and Reconstruction.
They called on all parties to “fulfil their respective commitments in good faith and without delay.”
Rejection of Displacement and Annexation
The joint statement reiterated the ministers’ “categorical rejection” of any measures aimed at expelling or forcibly displacing Palestinians from their homeland, or altering the “territorial or demographic character of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
They deplored what they described as illegal measures consolidating Israeli control and annexation — including accelerating settlement expansion, land confiscation, demolition of Palestinian homes, settler violence and terrorism, and forced displacement — and demanded their “immediate reversal.” The ministers also voiced “grave concern” over measures undermining the historical and legal Status Quo of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
Welcome for UK Measures
The ministers welcomed recent measures taken by the United Kingdom, as well as broader national and European efforts, in response to illegal Israeli settlement activity. These include steps to halt trade with illegal Israeli settlements. The ministers called for “further effective measures to end settlement expansion and ensure accountability for settler violence.”
Gaza’s Unity with West Bank
Reaffirming that Gaza must remain an integral part of Palestinian territory, the ministers said the Comprehensive Plan’s implementation must contribute to the reunification of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza. They called for a “credible and irreversible pathway” toward the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the realization of a “sovereign, viable, and independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, through the implementation of the two-state solution.”
Praise for Trump, Call for US Engagement
The ministers commended President Trump’s leadership and underscored the “indispensable role of the United States” in ensuring the Comprehensive Plan’s implementation. They called for “sustained and active US engagement” to ensure all parties, including Israel, fulfill their commitments and to overcome obstacles to the Road Map.
“Tangible progress on the ground will strengthen the credibility of the Board of Peace and the authority of the plan and create deeply needed momentum,” they said.
Collective Commitment
The ministers reaffirmed their readiness to continue working collectively with the United States, the Board of Peace, the Palestinian Authority, and all relevant parties to advance the full implementation of the Comprehensive Plan and its Road Map — to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, fulfill their right to self-determination and independent statehood, and achieve a “just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region.”
