Arab Nations Join Unprecedented Call for Hamas to Disarm, Cede Gaza Rule in Push for Two-State Solution

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – In a groundbreaking shift that could reshape the future of the Middle East, several Arab nations–including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt–joined Western allies Tuesday in calling for Hamas to disarm and relinquish its control over the Gaza Strip. The joint declaration, signed by 17 countries along with the European Union and the Arab League, marks a historic rebuke of the terror group by regional powers that have previously maintained more cautious stances.

“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,” the statement read. The declaration, issued during a high-profile United Nations conference in New York, also expressed support for deploying a temporary international stabilization mission, under U.N. mandate, to help oversee the transition.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot hailed the statement as “historic and unprecedented,” noting that it was the first time Arab nations had so explicitly condemned Hamas and the October 7, 2023, massacre that triggered the current war. Barrot added that the declaration also called for Hamas to be excluded from Palestinian governance and paved the way for future normalization of relations with Israel.

The document, co-signed by France, Britain, Canada, and others, represents a unified call for a revival of the long-stalled two-state solution. Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned that the UK would recognize a Palestinian state by September unless Israel agreed to a ceasefire, improved humanitarian access, and committed to a viable peace framework.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reinforced this stance, presenting Israel with a stark ultimatum: take “substantive steps” toward peace or face growing international recognition of Palestinian statehood without its input.

The U.S. and Israel boycotted the conference, with Israel’s foreign ministry dismissing the two-state push as a “reward” for Hamas terrorism. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to the plan, maintaining that a Palestinian state is not on the table. He also rejected any return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza, suggesting instead a post-war administration handpicked and vetted by Israel under indefinite military occupation.

Gaza has been under Hamas control since the group’s violent 2007 coup that ousted the Palestinian Authority following their 2006 electoral victory. Israel has since maintained a blockade on the territory, which it intensified during the war that erupted after the October 7 attacks–an assault that killed over 1,200 Israelis and led to a prolonged military campaign that has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure and claimed tens of thousands of lives.

The United Nations has warned that Gaza teeters on the brink of famine, and Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged Monday that the two-state solution appears “farther than ever before.” Nevertheless, the summit’s declaration signals a dramatic recalibration among Arab states, now more openly willing to confront Hamas and engage with Israel diplomatically–potentially resetting the trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after nearly two years of war.

Prophetic Significance

While many call for peace through a two-state solution, prophecy teachers often highlight a sobering warning from the book of Joel: the nations are brought to judgment because they “divided” the land (Joel 3:2) — a land God explicitly gave to the descendants of Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 26:1-6; Genesis 28:13-14; Genesis 25:10-12; Psalms 105:8-11 ) For those attuned to biblical prophecy, how this pursuit of peace unfolds carries deep and potentially dramatic prophetic significance. This is further underscored by Jesus’ command to “learn the parable of the fig tree,” widely understood as a symbol of Israel. Just as the fig tree produces early fruit in the spring and ripens fully by the fall harvest, prophecy watchers see a pattern: Israel’s modern rebirth and eventual spiritual harvest align with God’s redemptive timeline. The budding of the fig tree signals that the season is near, calling us to be alert to the times.

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