Several countries on Sunday condemned Israel’s decision to reject the latest US proposal for the next stage of the Gaza peace process.Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan issued a joint statement, saying the move “seriously undermines collective efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace.““The roadmap, which has been accepted by the Palestinian factions, is the culmination of intensive efforts by the mediators – Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United States, as well as the High Representative for Gaza and the Board of Peace,” the statement read.“It represents a crucial step towards the confinement of weapons alongside the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force, the transfer of administrative authority to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, and the reconstruction of Gaza, as set out in the comprehensive plan,” it added.The countries also urged the US to “compel Israel” to fully comply with the commitments and arrangements set out in the comprehensive plan and its roadmap.“Rejecting the roadmap is an explicit refusal to move forward with the implementation of the comprehensive plan and directly threatens to derail the intensive efforts undertaken by US President Donald Trump to end the war in Gaza and create the conditions necessary for lasting peace. In this regard, the ministers stress the importance of continued active US engagement to ensure and compel Israel to fully comply with the commitments and arrangements set out in the comprehensive plan and its roadmap, and to prevent any further obstruction of their implementation,” the statement said.Last Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the proposal and insisted that Hamas must be fully disarmed before Israeli forces withdraw.“Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Netanyahu said at the beginning of a cabinet meeting.He said the Israeli military would “not withdraw at all until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and citizens.”“And when I say disarm Hamas, that means heavy weapons, less-heavy weapons, all weapons. And we are talking about real disarmament, not a fictitious disarmament,” Netanyahu added.US President Donald Trump had announced at the end of July what he described as a historic agreement aimed at securing the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.The announcement came months after Trump first unveiled a US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Hamas, however, has said it would agree to the next stage only if Israel stops its strikes in Gaza and withdraws its troops to the “yellow line” set out under the October ceasefire agreement.
