Qatar has joined Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Arab nations in urging the Hamas terrorist organization to disarm and relinquish control of the Gaza Strip as part of a broader push to end the war, AFP reported.
Seventeen countries from the United Arab Emirates and the Arab League expressed their support for ending the war in a seven-page letter agreed upon at a UN conference. The letter also called for renewed negotiations toward a two-state solution.
"In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must give up its rule over the Strip and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international involvement and support, in line with the goal of establishing a sovereign and independent Palestinian state," the declaration stated.
The report also noted that Israel is still waiting to see if there is any prospect of renewing negotiations. Qatar and Egypt remain in contact with Hamas representatives in Doha in an effort to pressure the group into adopting positions deemed within Israel's "realm of reason."
Meanwhile, at a meeting of the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet on Monday, ministers discussed the possibility of annexing parts of the Gaza Strip if Hamas continues to reject a deal in the coming days. Another option raised again was targeted military operations in areas the Israel Defense Forces have not yet entered, in order to strike at Hamas terrorist strongholds.
Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi emphasized during the meeting that the top priority in any escalation of the fighting would be to safeguard the lives of the hostages during ground maneuvers.
