For first time, Arab League nations condemn Oct 7, demand Hamas leave Gaza while calling for 2-state solution at UN conference

In a move to re-establish the two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, the EU, Arab League and 17 other countries joined an agreement on Tuesday at a United Nations conference, calling for an end to the Gaza War.

Notably, the declaration signed by Arab League nations – including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and others – featured the first public condemnation of Hamas for the Oct. 7 massacre, along with a clear demand for the terror group to release Israeli hostages, disarm, and leave Gaza.

The seven-page document is titled, “New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine,” and was obtained by several news outlets.

Brazil, Japan and Canada were also co-signers and called for the possible deployment of foreign military forces to stabilize the Gaza Strip after the war.

“In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State,” said the declaration.

It also praised reform commitments made by the Palestinian Authority. “We support the deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission upon invitation by the Palestinian Authority and under the aegis of the United Nations and in line with UN principles, building on existing UN capacities, to be mandated by the UN Security Council, with appropriate regional and international support,” the text read.

The declaration affirmed the decades-old international position that a Palestinian state must unite the “West Bank” and the Gaza Strip on the basis of the 1967 borders with the eastern part of Jerusalem as the capital.

It also pledged international support for the reconstruction of the devastated enclave, expressed support for a recovery plan presented by the Arab-Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and announced that a Gaza Reconstruction Conference would soon take place in Cairo.

The joint agreement also condemned the Hamas invasion and massacre against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which sparked the ongoing war Israel’s been fighting for the past two years.

France called the declaration “both historic and unprecedented.”

“For the first time, Arab countries and those in the Middle East condemn Hamas, condemn October 7, call for the disarmament of Hamas, call for its exclusion from Palestinian governance, and clearly express their intention to normalize relations with Israel in the future,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

In an interview with French weekly Le Journal, Barrot said the move was part of an initiative between France and Saudi Arabia.

“For the first time, Arab countries will condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament, which will seal its definitive isolation. European countries will in turn confirm their intention to recognize the State of Palestine. Half of European countries have done so, all others are considering it,” Barrot told the JDD (Le Journal du Dimanche).

“The British Prime Minister has stated his intention to do so. Germany is considering it at a later stage. We will launch an appeal in New York for other countries to join us in order to set in motion an even more ambitious and demanding process that will culminate on September 21,” Barrot added.

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would formally recognize the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly on September 21, evoking condemnation from the U.S. and Israel.

Israel and its ally, the United States, boycotted the United Nations Conference on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on All Arab News and is reposted with permission.