Foreign ministers from several Arab and Muslim countries issued a joint statement on Sunday welcoming Hamas’s response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to end the war in Gaza.
The top diplomats from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt said the proposal—which calls for the release of all hostages, both living and deceased, and the immediate start of implementation talks—offers a genuine opportunity for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire.
They praised Trump’s call for Israel to halt its military campaign and begin implementing the exchange agreement—in which Israel would release Palestinian prisoners and Gazans detained during the war—commending his stated commitment to advancing regional peace.
The ministers also voiced support for Hamas’s declared readiness to transfer Gaza’s administration to a transitional Palestinian committee of independent technocrats, urging swift negotiations to establish mechanisms for actualizing the plan.
The statement reaffirmed the countries’ joint commitment to ending the war in Gaza, enabling unrestricted humanitarian aid, preventing the displacement of Palestinians, ensuring civilian protection, supporting the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza and advancing a two-state solution.
On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel expects the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas as early as this week. There are 20 believed to be alive. Hamas holds 28 bodies of hostages.
Trump told Axios on Saturday that “we are close” to a deal, adding that he would push to finalize it within the next few days.
