Eight Muslim countries condemn Israel's rejection of Trump's Gaza plan as Kushner lands in Israel

The United Arab Emirates, one of Israel's closest allies in the Arab world, joined seven other Muslim countries in condemning Jerusalem's rejection of President Donald Trump's plan for postwar Gaza, saying it "fundamentally undermines the collective efforts undertaken to achieve a just and lasting peace." The joint statement – signed by Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan – was issued during Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner's visit to the Middle East amid tensions between Jerusalem and Washington over the rejection. Kushner landed in Israel on Sunday night after meeting with Hamas leaders in Cairo. Officials from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey also attended Kushner's meetings with senior Hamas officials. Reuters reported, citing a diplomatic source, that Nikolay Mladenov, chairman of the Board of Peace for Gaza, also attended some of the meetings. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party said on X in response that the countries "want to take down" Netanyahu so that former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot and Democrats chairman Yair Golan can "give them what they want," adding: "This won't happen." Close Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and Jared Kushner during their meeting in Cairo, Sunday. Credit: HANDOUT/AFP Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and Jared Kushner during their meeting in Cairo, Sunday. Credit: HANDOUT/AFP Earlier this month, Netanyahu rebuffed the 15-point roadmap for Gaza unveiled by Trump's Board of Peace, saying the IDF will not withdraw from the enclave until Hamas is disarmed. "I wish to be precise here: Israel does not accept the 15-point document," he said at the start of a cabinet meeting. "I have heard people saying: 'You didn't say it.' So here I am saying it again: Israel does not accept the 15-point document." Read all 15 points of the Board of Peace's roadmap for implementing Trump's peace plan here The eight foreign ministers who signed the statement called on the Board of Peace to "take immediate and concrete measures" within its mandate to uphold the integrity of the roadmap and prevent any party from obstructing its implementation. Related Articles Netanyahu rejects the Gaza peace plan and the Israeli opposition says amen Haaretz Editorial Netanyahu is sabotaging Trump's Gaza plan. Will the president care? Nimrod Novik Torn between Trump and Smotrich on Gaza, Netanyahu plays for time until election Jonathan Lis The ministers also reiterated their support for a two-state solution, saying that "a just, lasting and comprehensive peace" can only be achieved through the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions. Kushner's visit to Israel comes amid tensions between Israel and the United States over implementation of the agreement with Hamas and Israeli opposition to the Board of Peace's framework. Ron Dermer, a close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former strategic affairs minister, met with Trump administration officials in Washington about two weeks ago, two sources familiar with the matter told Haaretz. According to one source, Dermer's mission was to resolve the dispute with the United States. The dispute erupted over objections Israel raised to the agreement reached by mediators and the Board of Peace with Hamas. Although Dermer stepped down from his official position last November, his name has emerged in recent months as someone involved in sensitive diplomatic contacts on Israel's behalf, including on Lebanon at the beginning of the war with Iran. According to the source, U.S. officials were furious that Israel submitted its objections so late, only after the agreement had already been reached, despite having been briefed for months on the framework presented to Hamas. Another source familiar with the matter, however, said that Israel maintains it was not aware of the framework until Trump and the Board of Peace announced that an agreement had been reached. The source estimated that Israel may have meant that it had not been briefed on all the changes made to the framework during the negotiations in Egypt. Nevertheless, as Haaretz reported, an Israeli delegation visited El Alamein, Egypt, during the final stage of the talks, on the eve of the announcement of the agreement.