Renewed talks on Gaza peace welcomed

Eight Arab and Muslim-majority countries have welcomed Hamas' response to United States President Donald Trump's Gaza "peace plan" ahead of the second anniversary of the Oct 7 attacks in Israel, but more civilian casualties were reported in the besieged strip.

Delegations from Hamas, Israel and the US were due to meet with other mediators in Egypt later on Monday for indirect talks with Trump calling for "everyone to move fast". He expects the first phase of talks to advance within the week while senior US officials have told Israel to stop bombing Gaza for the meantime.

Hamas told Al Jazeera that its delegation is led by Khalil al-Hayya, the head of the group's negotiating team who was targeted in an assassination attempt by Israel in Qatar last month.

In a joint statement published by the foreign ministers of Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Turkiye, on the Saudi Foreign Ministry's X account, they said they welcomed the steps taken by Hamas regarding Trump's proposal to end the conflict. They also welcomed Trump's call to immediately stop the bombings.

The foreign ministers also welcomed the announcement by Hamas of its readiness to hand over the administration of Gaza to a transitional Palestinian Administrative Committee of independent technocrats, according to the statement. They also emphasized the need for the immediate launch of negotiations to agree on mechanisms to implement the proposal and address all of its aspects.

The foreign ministers reiterated their joint commitment to support efforts toward returning the Palestinian Authority to Gaza, unifying Gaza and the West Bank, and reaching a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all sides, in a manner that leads to the full Israeli withdrawal, and to the rebuilding of Gaza and further for the two-state solution.

In Ramallah, the Fatah Central Committee convened on Sunday at the movement's Mobilization and Organization headquarters to discuss the latest developments related to the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Wafa news agency reported. The Central Committee welcomed the initiative.

Widening chasm

Arhama Siddiqa, a research fellow at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad in Pakistan, told China Daily that the joint statement by Arab and Muslim states underscores the widening chasm between public regional diplomacy and the realities on the ground in Gaza.

"Gaza lies in ruins, its civilian population crushed under continuous bombardment, infrastructure obliterated, and humanitarian access severely restricted. The recent flotilla episodes, intended to symbolically and materially break the siege, further highlight how Israel is determined to maintain control over sea access and reinforce the blockade, even in the face of international protest," Siddiqa said.

"Together, these dynamics reveal a tragic pattern, diplomatic overtures masked by entrenched aggression, making a just solution ever more elusive unless regional actors and global powers press with consistency, not rhetoric alone," she added.

"As long as the rubble of Gaza continues to define the Palestinian landscape, no agreement on paper can claim to represent stability or justice," Siddiqa said.

The Israeli prime minister's office published an announcement on Monday, saying Benjamin Netanyahu had conducted a lengthy meeting "in order to prepare the Hostages and the Missing Team ahead of their departure for Sharm El Sheikh, where the negotiations with the mediators will be held".

Even as efforts are advancing to get negotiators to the table, Israel continued the attack with Al Jazeera reporting that at least seven people have been killed, including three aid seekers, in Israeli attacks across Gaza since dawn on Tuesday.

Ayman Yousef, a professor of international relations at the Arab American University in Jenin, West Bank, told China Daily that the US-proposed plan was not a fair one "as Palestinian voices are not there" in the plan.

"The main focus of Trump's plan is to release the Israeli prisoners and hostages who have been captured by Hamas on Oct 7 and to prepare the ground for new international management and administration of the Gaza Strip," said Yousef, adding there was no mention of the Palestinian factor or Palestinian variable, raising doubts about Palestinian participation in the postwar scenario.

"Still, I think the deal on the Trump plan is not fair to the Palestinians. It takes the side of the Israelis," said Yousef.