Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt Join Global Call for Hamas to Disarm, End Gaza Rule

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt Join Global Call for Hamas to Disarm, End Gaza Rule

By Elisha | July 30, 2025

In a major diplomatic breakthrough, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have joined several Arab and Western nations in calling for Hamas to disarm and relinquish its control of Gaza, as part of efforts to end the devastating conflict in the Palestinian territory.

The demand was outlined in a seven-page declaration endorsed by 17 countries, the European Union, and the Arab League during a United Nations conference on reviving the two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.

“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,” the declaration stated.

The document also condemned Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, which killed over 1,200 people, marking a rare joint stance between Arab and Western countries.

France, which co-chaired the conference with Saudi Arabia, described the agreement as “historic and unprecedented.” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot noted:

“For the first time, Arab countries and those in the Middle East condemn Hamas, call for its disarmament, and express readiness to normalize relations with Israel in the future.”

The declaration also proposed the possible deployment of international forces to stabilize Gaza once hostilities cease and urged stronger backing for the Palestinian Authority to take over governance. In a significant announcement, Britain signaled it may recognize a Palestinian state by September if Israel does not agree to a ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. Likewise, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to make a formal declaration on Palestinian statehood recognition at the UN General Assembly in September.

Despite these moves, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the two-state solution is “farther than ever before,” pointing to the escalating conflict, Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, and annexation threats as ongoing challenges.

The Gaza war, now in its 21st month, has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths and the near-total destruction of the enclave’s infrastructure following Israel’s large-scale military response to the Hamas attacks.

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