Arab summit urges end of Gaza bloodshed, funds to rebuild enclave
CAIRO – 17 May 2025: Arab leaders and top officials met in Baghdad on Saturday for the 34th Arab League summit, urging pressure by the international community on Israel to stop the bloodshed in Gaza and allow urgent and unimpeded aid deliveries across the enclave.
The Baghdad Declaration reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause as the core issue of the Arab nation and the backbone of stability in the region.
The leaders expressed their unwavering support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the right to freedom, self-determination, and the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign state, as well as the right of return and compensation for Palestinian refugees and expatriates.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said, on Saturday that even if Israel succeeds in normalizing relations with all Arab states, a lasting, just, and comprehensive peace in the Middle East will remain unattainable without the establishment of a Palestinian state in accordance with… pic.twitter.com/NLtlxtbRfe — Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) May 17, 2025
The Arab leaders condemned all illegal actions and practices carried out by Israel, as the occupying power, which target the Palestinian people and prevent them from obtaining their basic rights to freedom, life, and human dignity, as enshrined in divine laws and international statutes.
They called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza and an end to all acts of aggression that exacerbate the suffering of innocent civilians.
Funding Gaza Reconstruction
The Arab leaders called for political, financial, and legal support for the joint Arab-Islamic plan regarding recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, which was adopted at the extraordinary Arab summit and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in March.
They urged countries and international and regional funding institutions to expedite the necessary financial support for implementing this plan.
The declaration welcomed proposals and initiatives from Arab states to establish a fund for the reconstruction of Gaza.
Unimpeded Aid
The leaders emphasized the importance of coordinating efforts to pressure for the opening of all crossings to deliver humanitarian aid to all Palestinian territories, enabling United Nations agencies, particularly UNRWA, to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
They called for the necessary international support for UNRWA to fulfill its duties.
Supporting Orphans
The leaders welcomed the formation of an open-ended working group in collaboration with the United Nations to follow up on the creation of a special fund to support orphans in Gaza, estimated to number around 40,000 children, as well as to provide assistance and prosthetic limbs for thousands of injured individuals, especially children.
Rejecting Palestinian Displacement
The declaration reaffirmed steadfast Arab position in rejecting any form of displacement or forced relocation of the Palestinian people from their land, under any name, circumstance, or justification.
The leaders warned that such move would constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and humanitarian law, and represents a crime against humanity amounting to ethnic cleansing.
The declaration strongly condemned the policies of starvation and the scorched earth tactics employed by the occupying authorities to pressure the Palestinian people to leave their land.
Irreversible Steps to 2-State Solution
In the same vein, the Arab leaders reiterated their commitment to a just and comprehensive peaceful settlement of the Palestinian cause.
They expressed their support for the call made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to convene an international peace conference and take irreversible steps to implement the two-state solution in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy resolutions.
They affirmed that the desired solution must ensure the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty based on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the acceptance of its full membership in the United Nations.
Deploying Peacekeepers
The declaration called for the deployment of international protective and peacekeeping forces under the auspices of the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territories until the two-state solution is implemented.
The leaders urged the United Nations Security Council to take clear actions to implement this solution within its responsibilities for maintaining international peace and security, with a necessary binding timeline for this political process.
They called on all Palestinian factions to agree on a comprehensive national project and a unified strategic vision that consolidates national efforts to achieve the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
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Israeli forces have ramped up strikes on Gaza, killing more than 250 people, many of them women and children, bringing the total fatalities since the start of the war 19 months ago to over 53,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials#Egypt… — Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) May 16, 2025
Solidarity Amid Regional Crises
Besides Palestine, the leaders affirmed their support to Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan and Libya amid the crises these countries are still experiencing.
Syria: The leaders emphasized the importance of advancing a comprehensive transitional political process in Syria that preserves diversity and social peace, ensuring respect for the beliefs and sacred sites of all components of the Syrian people.
Lebanon: The leaders reiterated their ongoing support for Lebanon in facing challenges, maintaining its security, stability, and territorial integrity, and protecting its internationally recognized borders from any violations.
Libya: The leaders reaffirmed their full support for Libya, emphasizing the importance of resolving the crisis through national dialogue to preserve state unity and achieve the aspirations of the Libyan people for lasting stability, while rejecting all forms of intervention in Libyan internal affairs.
Somalia: They condemned all terrorist activities targeting the security and stability of Somalia, including the assassination attempt on President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud in March.
UAE: The Arab leaders reiterated their absolute support for the United Arab Emirates' sovereignty over its three islands: Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, currently occupied by Iran. They called on Iran to respond to the UAE's initiative for a peaceful resolution to this issue.
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Crisis in Gaza seems hopeless. Here's a potential pathway for a 90-day solution
Even as someone who helped negotiate the only two ceasefires of the terrible war in Gaza, including the release of nearly 150 hostages, the situation today seems hopeless and destined to simply continue with no clear end in sight. That is not acceptable. This war must end. The hostages must come home. Humanitarian aid must surge. Gaza needs a multiyear recovery without Hamas in charge. This all needs to start now. So, how? To answer, let's review what happened over the last two weeks, some of the options that are now being proposed, and what might work to finally bring this to an end. Two weeks: cascading crises Only two weeks ago, there was hope that Israel and Hamas — through US, Qatari, and Egyptian mediation — were on the brink of a 60-day ceasefire. That deal entailed the release of half the living hostages Hamas still holds, thought to be ten people, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, including more than one hundred now serving life sentences, together with a 60-day ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas, daily surges of humanitarian aid, and a commitment by Israel, backed by Trump, to negotiate over those 60 days the conditions to end the war. A charity organization distributed food to Palestinians facing severe difficulties accessing basic necessities due to Israel's ongoing blockade and military operations in the Gaza Strip on July 24, 2025. Crowds gathered during the distribution in Gaza City, highlighting the growing humanitarian crisis. Ali Jadallah/Anadolu/Getty Images These promising talks reportedly broke down after Hamas leaders living comfortably in Qatar accepted its terms, but Hamas terrorists holding the keys to the hostages inside Gaza said no or demanded new terms. Israel and the US walked out of the talks, leading to their collapse. In the days that followed, reports emerged of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza — due largely, it appears, to Israel's decision in March to blockade Gaza and allow no assistance to enter at all over nearly 80 days. Israel now faces a crisis of its own making with the world's attention focused on its misguided humanitarian decisions, as opposed to focusing on Hamas as the obstacle to a ceasefire. Meanwhile, France responded with an initiative to recognize the establishment of a Palestinian state next month without demanding anything up front from Hamas or explaining how such an initiative might help end the Gaza crisis anytime soon. The UK went a step further and said it will also recognize a Palestinian state next month unless there is a ceasefire in Gaza, thereby guaranteeing that Hamas will not accept one. Hamas in turn welcomed these initiatives and released images of an emaciated hostage digging his own grave, thereby making clear that it now has no intent to cut a deal. Proposed ways forward Before discussing ways out of this impasse, let's stipulate that the delivery of assistance to the people of Gaza is non-negotiable and must continue no matter what. This is not only moral, but strategic, because Hamas views civilian suffering as a component of its strategy. Israel's blockade, a tactic the Biden administration never allowed, was a trap for itself, allowing Hamas to turn the tables even as the group obstructs the ceasefire needed to bring immediate and sustained relief to the population it purports to represent. Israel has since declared humanitarian pauses in fighting and restored delivery of UN aid, even with risk of some diversion to Hamas. This is the right move, and it must continue no matter what option is chosen going forward to secure the release of hostages. Demonstrators gather outside the Israeli Defence Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv on July 5, 2025 during an anti-government protest calling for action to secure the release of Israeli hostages held captive in Gaza. Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images The options now being discussed can broadly be categorized into five outlines: 1. Military Victory: Proponents of this option, including inside the Israeli government, claim that Hamas's leaders inside Gaza will never accept a deal. Therefore, Israel has no choice but to further intensify its military campaign, including to find and eliminate those few remaining leaders of Hamas inside Gaza. The hope is that Hamas' control in Gaza will crack, and Israel can then establish a new Palestinian entity to secure and govern the strip, one that is not Hamas or the existing Palestinian Authority. But Israel has been doing precisely this since May, intensifying its military campaign with five divisions deployed into Gaza. This operation, called Gideon's Chariots, did help eliminate Mohammed Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza at the time, and seize 70% of the strip. but Israel also lost over forty soldiers, tragically killed civilians, and did not fundamentally change the equation or lead to a deal. An Israeli army infantry fighting vehicle along the border with the Gaza Strip and southern Israel on July 29, 2025. Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images There is no reason to believe that more of the same will deliver a different result, and to further intensify the war now as international support reaches its nadir carries strategic risks to Israel far greater than any potential tactical military gain. 2. Comprehensive Deal: Proponents of this option claim the obstacle to the 60-day ceasefire deal is its phasing since Hamas demands a permanent end to the war upfront. Thus, Israel should now propose the return of all hostages living and dead in exchange for a full withdrawal from Gaza, the establishment of a new governance structure that is not Hamas, and a large-scale release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. I call this the 'have it all' option because it suggests there is a magic key to free all hostages, end the war, and remove Hamas from any significant role in Gaza. In my experience negotiating with Hamas, however, this proposal likely leads to an even more intractable negotiation upfront. Hamas will haggle over every name on a proposed governing council, demand guarantees such as a UN Security Council resolution against future Israeli operations, refuse under any circumstances to disarm or relinquish security control, and demand the release of all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. So, this is unlikely a faster path to a deal that brings a ceasefire or returns hostages than the phased deal that was nearly agreed to only two weeks ago. No doubt, Israel and the US missed an opportunity earlier this year to maintain the deal it inherited from the Biden administration, a deal backed by the UN Security Council and one that could have been extended through talks on these issues with a ceasefire in place. The point of this essay is not to argue what might have been, but rather what to do now — and the fastest path to stopping the war and freeing hostages. Opening an entirely new negotiation on a new deal would not achieve either, anytime soon. 3. Stick to a 60-day Proposal: Proponents of this option, and I have been one, believe the fastest path to stop the war and ultimately end it altogether remains the existing phased proposal. Hamas is divided within its ranks and the US could press the three countries with influence — Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey — to demand that Hamas take the deal, release ten hostages, and begin the 60-day pause. The 'or else' for Hamas and its leaders might include exile from Doha, together with requests for extradition to the United States for their role in killing Americans, and new sanctions to ensure they do not set up shop elsewhere, other than perhaps Iran, where they would be less effective and vulnerable to Israeli targeting. This pressure together with international support for the deal would help influence the holdouts inside Hamas. In my experience negotiating these deals, international pressure matters to Hamas as much as military pressure. The problem with this option now is that the French and UK initiatives have removed any such pressure or incentive from Hamas to close any deal, as a Palestinian state has been promised in September no matter what happens with the hostages. Hamas views creation of a Palestinian state not as an end goal but as a stepping stone to ending Israel's existence. Its leaders have deemed the French initiative 'one of the fruits of October 7,' and Hamas has since shown no readiness to renew talks on the 60-day deal, a point brought home with its grotesque displays of hostages starving in tunnels. 4. Unilateral Humanitarian Pause: An outlier option could see Israel declare a 30-day pause on major combat operations to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Israel would not withdraw its forces from present positions, and retain the right to respond in self-defense, but it would immediately shift international focus back on Hamas while also allowing the Israeli military forces to rest and refit. True, this would also allow Hamas to rest and refit with no hope of a near-term hostage release, but by alleviating the aid situation, Israel might benefit strategically by taking this card away from Hamas and demonstrating that Israel is now correcting for its own mistakes. It might also demand International Red Cross access to the hostages as a condition for the pause, an issue of urgency given the horrific images Hamas released of hostages in recent days. Palestinians gather as they carry aid supplies that entered Gaza through Israel, amid a hunger crisis, in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip July 20, 2025. Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters The problem with this option is that it says nothing about what happens after the pause, further removes pressure from Hamas, and would be extremely unpopular in Israel, both within the rightwing Israeli government but also the broader population, to include most hostage families that rightly demand a process leading to a deal – not a unilateral move by Israel that might benefit Hamas with nothing in return. 5. US Breaks with Israel: Proponents of this option believe the United States should announce a halt on all further arms sales to Israel and demand that Israel end the war unilaterally even with Hamas remaining in control of Gaza. Some go further and claim this should happen even without hostages being freed. Their argument is that the overwhelming priority is to stop the war and only the United States has leverage against Israel to force it into doing so. As for the hostages, proponents of this argument claim that Netanyahu, not Hamas, is the primary obstacle to a deal and that by halting US military support, the Israelis might make concessions needed to conclude a deal. These arguments are appealing to those appalled by the images from Gaza and wishing for a quick fix. But they would do nothing to stop, let alone end, the war. Hamas has shown no serious indication that it will release all the hostages if Israel simply gives up, and if Hamas remains in charge of Gaza there is no chance whatsoever for longer-term peace or an internationally backed relief plan that the strip so badly requires. In any case, this is a politically motivated and not realistic option for those who truly aim to stop the war. It's also highly unlikely to ever happen. Trump is unlikely to break with Israel, and Israel is unlikely to simply withdraw from Gaza without all the Israeli hostages and a deal that helps to ensure Hamas cannot retain its control there. In total, that is a depressing summary — it suggests that every broad option now being discussed is either unlikely to succeed or might make the situation even worse. Putting it all together So, what would I recommend? Senior officials do not have the luxury of admiring a problem or analyzing impractical or politically motivated options. They must think seriously about the best of the bad, or meld options together to chart a new path. That is what I might propose: Because, combining options two, three, and four offers an immediate path to alleviating the humanitarian crisis, returning the focus squarely on Hamas, and parlaying the unconstructive proposals coming from Paris, London, and other capitals. This new path — call it Option 6 — would combine a unilateral 30-day pause in Israeli military operations to alleviate the humanitarian situation with an ultimatum that by the end of the 30 days, Hamas must free half the living hostages to extend the ceasefire by 60 days under the existing proposal. From there, you could proceed with a firm, US-backed commitment to negotiate over those 60-days a comprehensive deal to end the war with a new governance structure in Gaza and the release of all remaining hostages. If Hamas refuses to release half the remaining hostages after 30 days, then Israel's unilateral pause would end. Israel could return to military operations but after its military has refit and with the legitimacy for its objectives somewhat restored internationally. Families of hostages protest, demanding their release from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, at the plaza known as the hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. Ariel Schalit/AP This might also parry the French initiative to recognize Palestinian statehood at the UN general assembly next month: If, following Israel's unilateral pause, Hamas has not released ten hostages, then the obstacle to peace would clearly be Hamas. On the other hand, if Hamas does release the ten hostages and we are entering a 60-day window for negotiations to end the war, then it would not make sense to declare Palestinian statehood at the start of that process, as opposed to an incentive towards its conclusion. Flip the script At bottom, this is an opportunity for Israel and the United States to flip the script entirely, urgently address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and place the onus for ending the crisis more squarely on Hamas where it belongs. Trump and Netanyahu may not favor such an option as it takes pressure off Hamas on the front end, but it would dramatically increase such pressure — strategic pressure, not just tactical pressure — on the back end. It's also the only viable option at this moment that is likely to achieve what we all want to see: assistance distributed throughout Gaza, hostages coming out of Gaza, and an end to the war with Hamas no longer governing or in control of Gaza. The alternatives might score rhetorical points, but they won't help anyone in Gaza, not the civilians trapped in this awful war, nor the hostages now in tunnels for over 600 days. It's time indeed to flip the script. That means Option 6.
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