Image Credentials: Image Title: Historic Coalition Calls for Hamas to Disarm and Relinquish Control of Gaza Source: (sora.chatgpt) Date: July 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (sora.chatgpt), it does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
In a landmark move described as “historic and unprecedented” by French officials, a coalition of 17 countries, including key Arab powers Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, alongside the European Union and the Arab League, has issued a joint declaration demanding that Hamas disarm and cede control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority (PA).
The seven-page statement, drafted during a high-level United Nations conference focused on reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, aims to end the ongoing war in Gaza and lay the foundation for a two-state solution. The declaration explicitly states: “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.” It also includes a strong condemnation of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, which triggered the current conflict and killed numerous civilians, marking a rare public rebuke of the group by Arab nations.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot hailed the statement as a turning point in Middle East diplomacy, noting, “For the first time, Arab countries and those in the Middle East condemn Hamas, condemn October 7, call for its disarmament, call for its exclusion from Palestinian governance, and clearly express their intention to normalize relations with Israel in the future.” The coalition, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, includes Western allies such as Canada and Britain but notably excludes Israel and the United States, reflecting complex regional dynamics.
The agreement proposes deploying a temporary international stabilization force in Gaza, led by the United Nations and supported by regional and global partners, to maintain order once hostilities cease. The statement emphasizes that such a mission would require authorization from the UN Security Council and an invitation from the PA. However, critics have raised concerns about the UN’s role, pointing to allegations that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has supported Hamas by allowing rocket launchers in schools and terrorist bases under hospitals, with some agency employees reportedly participating in the October 7 massacre.
The declaration comes at a time when support for a two-state solution is at historic lows in Israel and among American Jews and Republican allies, many of whom cite the PA’s “pay-for-slay” program, alleged to incentivize terrorism, including rewarding the October 7 attackers, as evidence of its lack of commitment to peace. Despite these challenges, the agreement signals a rare alignment between Arab and Western nations and could pave the way for significant diplomatic progress, building on the momentum of the Abraham Accords to expand normalization with Israel.
If implemented, this declaration could mark a pivotal step toward removing Hamas from power in Gaza, fostering Palestinian governance under the PA, and advancing the long-elusive goal of a sovereign Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. However, the absence of Israel and the U.S. from the conference, combined with ongoing regional tensions and skepticism about the PA’s credibility, underscores the formidable obstacles ahead.
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