‘Hamas Must End Its Rule in Gaza’: Qatar Joins Other Arab Countries in Demanding Terror Group Disarm, Step Down

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the Arab League, signed onto an unprecedented declaration on Tuesday calling on the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas to disarm, relinquish control over the war-torn Gaza Strip, and release the Israeli hostages it is still holding.

At a French and Saudi-led United Nations conference on reviving conversation and advocacy for a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 17 countries, the 22-member Arab League, and the European Union signed onto the declaration.

“Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State,” it read.

“Governance, law enforcement, and security across all Palestinian territory must lie solely with the Palestinian Authority, with appropriate international support.”

While European and other Western countries have consistently made their condemnation of Hamas and its attacks clear, as well as their commitment to a two-state solution, it is notable that many Arab countries — including Qatar, which has historically supported Hamas diplomatically and financially — signed onto the declaration. 

Some foreign policy experts noted the striking inclusion of Qatar, which continues to host senior Hamas leaders.

The declaration also condemned Hamas’s deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which left 1,200 dead and another 251 taken hostage, and called for an end to the subsequent war which has devastated Gaza.

This is the first time since the Israel-Hamas war began that a united front of Arab countries condemned the Oct. 7 massacre and called on Hamas to disarm and step down from power. 

When it comes to a post-war Gaza, the declaration proposes “a temporary international stabilization mission” under the auspices of the United Nations and upon invitation by the Palestinian Authority. It also notes that some countries have expressed readiness to contribute troops to the cause.

 “By bringing the Arab countries for the first time to condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament, we are creating, or recreating, the conditions for this political solution that, again, is the only path forward, and we are paving the way,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said in an interview with CBS News.

“We’re paving the way for the future Abraham Accords that the US administration might lead,” he argued, referring to a series of US-brokered deals normalizing ties between Israel and several Arab countries.

Michael Koplow, the chief policy officer of the Israel Policy Forum, a pro-two-state solution think tank, called the declaration “remarkable” and wrote that the Israeli government “should treat this as an unprecedented accomplishment.”

“It explicitly called for a Palestinian state to be demilitarized, marked PA incitement in school curricula as something that must be addressed, and promised Israel full regional integration. It’s basically attaching the full Israeli wishlist to two states,” he argued.  At the same time, “there’s plenty in here that Israel reasonably finds objectionable. Full right of return is a non-starter, and the real carrot of a pledge for full normalized diplomatic relations across the board is missing.”

He concluded, “When Israel talks about peace through strength and a transformed regional and [international] environment re: accepting Israel, this is what it actually looks like. If this [government] had an ounce of sense, it would crow about this as the world accepting what it has long demanded and build on it.”

The United States and Israel did not participate in the conference.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement that the conference is “unproductive and ill-timed,” and that it is “a slap in the face to the victims of Oct. 7 and a reward for terrorism.”

“This is a publicity stunt that comes in the middle of delicate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict,” she continued. “Far from promoting peace, the conference will prolong the war, embolden Hamas, and reward its obstruction and undermine real-world efforts to achieve peace.”

Israeli officials have similarly argued that recognizing a Palestinian state at this time would “reward” Hamas’s terrorism, embolden the Islamist group to continue fighting, and only lead to a failed state.