In a historic turn of events at the United Nations, the entire Arab League has joined the European Union and 17 other countries in a sweeping condemnation of Hamas for its October 7 terrorist attack on Israel. The unified message, part of what is now being called the New York Declaration, urges Hamas to immediately disarm, release all hostages, and relinquish control over Gaza.
The international plan, spearheaded by France and Saudi Arabia, marks a major diplomatic shift as it combines sharp rebuke of both Hamas’s actions and Israel’s ongoing conduct during the war. While emphasizing the urgency of humanitarian access and calling out the high civilian toll in Gaza, the declaration simultaneously denounces Israel’s expansion of settlements in the West Bank—also known by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria.
A key element of the declaration proposes a multi-phase peace initiative that would ultimately lead to the creation of a demilitarized Palestinian state, with clear benchmarks, international oversight, and support for Gaza’s stabilization through an interim peacekeeping force once hostilities end.
Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected the summit and the United States declined to participate, the joint statement signals a rare and powerful alignment among Arab and Western powers. For the first time, Arab leaders publicly condemned Hamas’s violence without reservation and acknowledged that lasting peace in the region will require new Palestinian leadership.
Supporters of the plan stress that the status quo is untenable and that only a two-state solution can bring durable stability. While the path ahead remains complex, the New York Declaration may represent a turning point in efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — with a growing global consensus forming around the need for both accountability and a shared vision for peace.
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