Arab allies join Trump in calling for Israel to drop opposition to US-backed Gaza peace plan

A diplomatic coalition including eight Muslim countries and Donald Trump is calling for Israel to cease its opposition to a US-backed peace plan for Gaza. The initiative is centered around the Board of Peace, which is currently weighing a new disarmament framework amidst significant pushback from the Israeli government. According to coverage from the Associated Press, Jared Kushner and Blair recently met with Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem to advance this plan. This high-level meeting followed a two-hour session between Kushner and Hamas. However, Prime Minister Netanyahu has reportedly told envoys that there will be no IDF pullback or reconstruction efforts in Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed. Major international outlets are highlighting the growing rift between Israel and its regional partners.

The Times of Israel reports that Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, and Turkey, among others, are blaming Israel for thwarting the peace plan. Similarly, Asharq Al-Awsat English and Deutsche Welle report that regional powers and eight Muslim countries have condemned Israel's rejection of the proposal. The Jerusalem Post notes that these Arab and Islamic countries are aligned with the US in their call for Israel to accept the Board of Peace's framework, while The Times reports that Netanyahu continues to refuse to compromise over the specific terms of the Gaza plan. The conflict centers on the sequence of disarmament and withdrawal. Le Monde describes the disarmament deal as a historic opening, yet notes that Israel remains an obstacle. The stakes involve the specific role of US military leadership, as Yahoo reports that Netanyahu is pressing for a US general to take a role in the disarmament of Hamas.

Conversely, Hamas has called upon the Board of Peace to compel Israel to accept the plan. A diplomat noted in The Times of Israel that Hamas will only begin the process of disarming if Netanyahu makes a public commitment to the peace plan, creating a diplomatic deadlock over who must act first. Future developments depend on whether the Board of Peace can finalize a disarmament framework acceptable to all parties. Coverage from The Guardian and The Times of Israel indicates that the focus is now on whether the Board of Peace will exercise pressure to compel Israeli compliance. Observers will be watching for any public commitment from Netanyahu, which Hamas has cited as a prerequisite for disarmament. Additionally, the role of the US general requested by Netanyahu remains a key point of potential negotiation as Kushner continues his diplomatic efforts to reconcile the demands of the IDF with the requirements of the US-backed peace framework.