Foreign Ministers of Qatar, Arab and Islamic countries express concern over humanitarian crisis in Gaza

On September 21, 2026, foreign ministers representing Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia convened in New York ahead of the 81st United Nations General Assembly session. These nations expressed deep concern over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and urged Israel to quickly comply with the first phase of the comprehensive plan.

This included ensuring the timely, safe, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid and recovery supplies, as well as the prompt restoration of essential infrastructure.

The ministers emphasized the critical need to uphold a ceasefire and halt all violations. They affirmed that the roadmap is a crucial component of the broader comprehensive plan, providing a framework for implementing its second phase. This phase involves collecting weapons in tandem with Israel's full withdrawal from Gaza, deploying an international stabilization force, empowering the National Committee for Gaza Governance to oversee the territory, and initiating early recovery and reconstruction operations across the Strip.

The ministers demanded immediate action from all parties to meet their respective responsibilities without further delay.

They staunchly refused to accept any actions aimed at deporting or forcibly displacing Palestinians from their homeland or altering the demographic composition of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. They strongly condemned Israeli efforts to solidify control and annexation, including the rapid growth of settlements, land confiscations, demolition of Palestinian homes, settler violence and terrorism, and forced displacement.

They called for an immediate end to these harmful practices and a reversal of their consequences. Furthermore, they expressed serious worry over actions that threaten the traditional status quo of Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian holy sites.

The ministers welcomed recent actions by the United Kingdom and broader national and European initiatives in response to illegal Israeli settlement activity, such as efforts to cut trade ties with these settlements. They urged additional effective measures to curb settlement expansion and hold settlers accountable for their violent actions.

They reaffirmed that Gaza must remain an integral part of Palestine, and stressed that the comprehensive plan should aid in unifying the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, leading to a dependable and irreversible route towards the Palestinian people exercising their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with the two-state solution.

The ministers praised US President Donald Trump's leadership and underscored the United States' crucial role in ensuring the comprehensive plan's implementation. They called for continued and effective American involvement to ensure all parties, including Israel, honor their commitments and overcome barriers hindering the roadmap's progress.

They stressed that tangible advancements on the ground would bolster the credibility of the Peace Council and the plan's effectiveness, generating the momentum desperately needed. Finally, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to work collectively with the United States, the Peace Council, the Palestinian Authority, and all relevant parties to fully execute the comprehensive plan and alleviate Palestinian suffering, secure their right to self-determination, and achieve a fair, permanent, and comprehensive peace in the region.