Key Muslim nations back Trump’s Gaza peace plan — but will Hamas accept the deal?
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Key Muslim nations back Trump’s Gaza peace plan — but will Hamas accept the deal?")
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) shake hands at the end of a press conference in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC on September 29, 2025. Photograph: (AFP)
Eight key Muslim nations and Europe have voiced their backing for Trump's Gaza peace plan, following Netanyahu's endorsement. However, Palestinian groups and residents call it a "farce" and a "recipe for continued aggression." What about Hamas?
Key Muslim nations on Monday (Sep 30) threw their support behind US President Donald Trump’s push to end the Gaza war, even as Palestinian groups and residents voiced sharp scepticism over the proposal, declaring it a "farce". In a joint statement, eight Arab and Muslim-majority countries said they “welcome the role of the American president and his sincere efforts aimed at ending the war in Gaza” and pledged to engage constructively toward finalising and implementing the plan. This follows Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House earlier in the day, where the two leaders discussed how to end the war in Gaza.
Joint statement by key Muslim nations
Even as residents of war-torn Gaza labelled the proposal put forward by Trump, a "farce" with Hamas officials alleging that it “leans toward the Israeli perspective,” eight Muslim majority nations backed it. In a joint statement, they said they "affirm their readiness to engage positively and constructively with the United States and the parties toward finalising the agreement and ensuring its implementation". The signatories included Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Pakistan.
The statement carries weight: Qatar has mediated past ceasefires, Saudi Arabia’s normalisation with Israel remains a US goal, and Indonesia has floated sending troops for a future Gaza force. Pakistan, meanwhile, drew attention when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed Trump’s “firm belief” in ending the war.
The Palestinian Authority, sidelined by Israel for years, also welcomed Trump’s “sincere and determined efforts.” But others pushed back.
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A recipe for 'continued aggression'? What did Hamas say?
Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian armed group, denounced the plan as “a recipe for continued aggression,” accusing Israel of trying to politically achieve, via the US, "to impose what it could not achieve through war". In Gaza, residents dismissed the proposal outright, calling it “a farce” designed to secure hostage releases without real peace.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed Trump’s plan but warned Hamas of further devastation if it resisted. Hamas itself has yet to issue a detailed response.
Europe also lined up behind Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron said the US plan borrows from French ideas and urged Hamas to comply. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer voiced “strong” support, while former UK leader Tony Blair praised the framework as “bold and intelligent” and confirmed his proposed role in leading a transitional Gaza authority. Italy and Germany echoed the call, with Berlin’s foreign minister calling the moment “a unique opportunity to end the terrible war.”
The proposal, which envisions hostages freed, Hamas disarmed, and a transitional governing body in Gaza backed by the UN and Gulf states, comes as the war nears its two-year mark.
