Trump meets Muslim leaders, proposes Gaza plan without Hamas

U.S. President Donald Trump’s meeting with leaders of Muslim-majority nations on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, focused on the situation in Gaza and the wider Middle East.

Participants included Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Egypt, the UAE and Jordan.

The 50-minute meeting saw Trump call it an honor to meet Islamic leaders and praise their efforts, saying, “You all have done an excellent job, which is commendable.”

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the talks as extremely productive.

Turkey presses for ceasefire

NATO member Turkey has harshly criticized Israel's attacks on Gaza and said they amount to genocide. It has halted all trade with Israel, urged international measures against it, and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Speaking to reporters in New York after the meeting, Erdogan said a joint declaration from the meeting would be published and that he was "pleased" with the outcomes of the meeting, but did not elaborate further.

None of the other Muslim leaders spoke to the media after the meeting.

Trump outlines US Gaza plan

Later, Trump declared the meeting extremely important and spoke to reporters about ending the Gaza war, saying it could be concluded soon. He added, “We are going to end something that we did not start.”

He also outlined U.S. plans for an Israeli withdrawal and post-war governance in Gaza without Hamas involvement, according to U.S. media.

Washington is seeking Arab and Muslim nations’ agreement to send troops to Gaza to enable Israel’s withdrawal and to fund transition and rebuilding programs, Axios reported.

According to Al Jazeera, the Gaza plan was reportedly not drafted by Israel, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been made aware of the details. It is believed to include some future involvement by the Palestinian Authority (PA), something that has not gone down well with Israel.

The meeting focused on reaching a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the Emirati state news agency WAM said on Wednesday, adding that releasing the hostages and ending the humanitarian crisis were also discussed as priorities.

Israel under international pressure

Israel faces global condemnation over its military conduct in Gaza, where local health authorities say more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed.

In recent weeks, Netanyahu’s government has begun a long-threatened ground assault on Gaza City, with no ceasefire in sight.

But Washington remains Israel's staunchest ally.

The U.S. and Israel boycotted a summit in New York on Monday convened by France and Saudi Arabia, where dozens of world leaders gathered at the United Nations to embrace a Palestinian state.

No matter how many countries recognize Palestinian independence, full UN membership would require approval by the Security Council, where the United States has a veto that it frequently uses to oppose resolutions that are critical of Israel.

UN chief supports statehood push

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres backed the moves for recognition while speaking at the Security Council later on Tuesday.

"This is the clearest path to a two-State solution: Israel and an independent, sovereign, democratic, viable and contiguous State of Palestine," he said. "We must seize this momentum."