Eight Arab and Muslim countries–Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Türkiye, Pakistan, and Indonesia–expressed concern over Israeli statements suggesting that the Rafah crossing could be used unilaterally to move Gaza’s population into Egypt. In a joint statement, their foreign ministers said they “categorically reject any attempt to displace the Palestinian people.”
The statement called for full adherence to US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, emphasising that Rafah must remain open in both directions without delay. It also urged a permanent ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian aid to Gaza, and accelerated reconstruction efforts to allow the Palestinian Authority to resume its responsibilities in the Strip.
Speaking in Doha during a panel titled “Gaza Accountability” at the Doha Forum, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said stabilising the ceasefire was a “top priority” and a necessary first step for the second phase of Trump’s plan. He stressed that implementing U.N. Security Council Resolution 2803, particularly the deployment of an international stabilization force, was essential for preparing conditions for the Palestinian Authority’s return.
Abdelatty noted that while the Rafah crossing “operates continuously from the Egyptian side,” Israel “keeps it closed from its side” and controls five other crossings with Gaza. He warned that using Rafah in only one direction or linking it to arrangements that undermine Palestinian presence is prohibited under the plan.
He also highlighted escalating settler violence and land seizures in the West Bank, calling for urgent international intervention to contain tensions, and reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to working with regional and international partners to secure a just settlement based on international legitimacy.
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said mediators were working to “impose the next phase” of the ceasefire, though talks remained at a “critical stage.” He noted that the US initially engaged only one side but has recently begun dialogue with both parties, stressing that Qatar’s role is to ensure ongoing communication.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported six deaths and 15 injuries over the past 48 hours, bringing the total fatalities since the ceasefire began on October 10 to 367, alongside 953 injuries. The overall death toll from Israel’s war, which began on October 7, 2023, and lasted two years, has reached 70,354, with more than 171,000 injured.
Shifa Hospital reported that three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in Beit Lahiya, while heavy Israeli airstrikes hit areas east of Rafah. Israeli forces also detonated residential buildings in Gaza City’s Zeitoun district.
In Istanbul, Hamas’s exiled political bureau chief Khaled Meshaal stated that Gaza rejects any form of external “guardianship.” He added: “The harshest images of genocide have stopped, but starvation, siege, and the closure of crossings continue.” Meshaal called for protecting armed resistance, confronting settlement expansion in the West Bank, and pursuing Israel legally and politically on the international stage, describing Israel as “a pariah responsible for genocide.” He stressed the importance of Palestinian unity.
Diplomatic pressure increased as Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide called for a stabilization force in Gaza to be established “this month” as a functioning peacekeeping mission. Spain’s Foreign Minister said it was “time to establish a Palestinian state,” warning that settler violence was “out of control” and that peace requires a two-state solution.
A US official told AP that an international stabilization force could be deployed early next year, while Arab and Western sources indicated that an international authority could be announced by year-end to manage Gaza as part of the ceasefire plan.
A UNFPA representative added that Israel’s highly restrictive visa rules for the agency’s international staff were hampering humanitarian operations.
