New York: The foreign ministers of Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia convened in New York on 21 September 2026, on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, to address the deteriorating situation in Gaza.
The ministers expressed deep concern over the continued humanitarian suffering in Gaza and called on Israel to immediately fulfil its outstanding commitments under the First Phase of the Comprehensive Plan. Their demands included the immediate, safe, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance and Early Recovery supplies, along with the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure. They stressed the imperative of preserving the ceasefire and ending all violations.
On the broader framework, the ministers affirmed that the Road Map forms an integral part of the Comprehensive Plan and provides the implementation structure for the Second Phase. This phase covers decommissioning alongside full Israeli withdrawal, deployment of the International Stabilization Force, the assumption of responsibilities by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza across the Gaza Strip, and the launch of Early Recovery and Reconstruction efforts.
The ministers issued a categorical rejection of any measures aimed at the expulsion or forced displacement of the Palestinian people from their homeland. They deplored illegal measures consolidating Israeli control, including accelerating settlement expansion, land confiscation, demolition of Palestinian homes, settler violence, and forced displacement, calling for their immediate reversal. They also expressed grave concern over measures undermining the historical and legal Status Quo of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
The eight nations welcomed recent measures taken by the United Kingdom and broader European efforts to halt trade with illegal Israeli settlements, calling for further effective action to end settlement expansion and ensure accountability for settler violence.
The ministers reaffirmed that Gaza must remain an integral part of Palestinian territory. They stressed that the Comprehensive Plan must contribute to the reunification of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, and to a credible pathway toward Palestinian self-determination and an independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital under the two-state solution.
Commending US President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, the ministers underscored the indispensable role of the United States in ensuring implementation of the Comprehensive Plan and called for sustained American engagement to hold all parties, including Israel, to their commitments.
