ISLAMABAD:
Leaders from the key Arab nations and members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), who met US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, have pressed for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, release of all hostages, and a comprehensive plan for reconstruction, according to a joint statement issued on Wednesday.
The summit, held on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly session, was convened at the initiative of President Trump. The meeting was co-hosted by President Trump and Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and attended by Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Kamal Madbouly, UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
The joint statement issued by the key leaders from Arab League and OIC thanked Trump for bringing the parties together and highlighted the “unbearable situation” in Gaza, pointing to the humanitarian catastrophe, heavy civilian toll, and the wider regional consequences. They rejected any forced displacement of Palestinians and called for the return of those who fled during the conflict.
The leaders underlined the urgency of a ceasefire that would facilitate both humanitarian relief and the release of hostages.
They also placed responsibility on Washington’s leadership to shepherd a longer-term peace process. “They reiterated their commitment to cooperate with President Trump, and stressed the importance of his leadership to end the war and open horizons for a just and lasting peace,” the communiqué read.
The participants also threw their support behind the Palestinian Authority reform efforts and stressed the need for stability in the West Bank and Jerusalem’s holy sites. They backed an Arab and OIC-led plan for reconstruction in Gaza, coupled with international security arrangements and financing.
Trump was flanked by his top Middle East team, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary and Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
The leaders agreed that the summit should serve as the start of a sustained process toward peace and regional cooperation.
Participants emphasized the need to ensure a comprehensive plan for reconstruction in Gaza, based on the Arab and OIC plan, as well as security arrangements, with international assistance supporting the Palestinian leadership, and expressed commitment to work together to ensure the success of plans and to rebuild the lives of Palestinians in Gaza.
Participants also emphasised the importance of maintaining momentum to ensure that this meeting is the beginning of a process on the right path to a future of peace and regional cooperation.
Earlier, American media reported US President Donald Trump presented his plan for ending the Gaza war, releasing remaining hostages and rehabilitating the Strip under non-Hamas rule during a multilateral meeting with the leaders of eight Arab and Muslim countries.
Trump also vowed that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, according to the reports.
Parts of the plan presented by Trump at the Tuesday meeting are based on a proposal crafted by former UK prime minister Tony Blair.
While the Blair plan focuses on the post-war management of Gaza, the plan presented by Trump also outlines how the war itself would end, envisioning a ceasefire of several weeks during which all of the remaining 48 hostages would be released, one of the Arab diplomats said.
President Trump promised Arab leaders he would not let Israel annex the occupied West Bank, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing six people familiar with the matter.
Two people described Trump as being firm on the topic during their meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Politico reported. Two others familiar with the matter, Politico reported, said the US team presented a white paper outlining the Trump administration’s plan to end the Gaza war, including the promise against West Bank annexation.
Israel has drawn global condemnation over its military conduct in Gaza, which has caused major destruction and where more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health authorities. A global hunger monitor says part of the territory is suffering from famine.
Talking exclusively to The Express Tribune, Prime Minister Shehbaz said that a ceasefire in Gaza would be achieved soon. He said he hoped “there will be no further delay in reaching the ceasefire [in Gaza]”.
Responding to a question, the prime minister said that Pakistan’s relations with the world had improved, emphasising that further progress would be visible in the coming days.
(With additional input from Reuters)
