GCC praises Egypt-Qatar mediation efforts to reach ceasefire in Gaza

CAIRO – 1 September 2025: The Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) praised the mediation efforts exerted by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States of America to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

In its conclusion of its 165th session held in Kuwait on Monday, the GCC renewed its support for the mediation efforts by those mediators to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, release hostages and detainees, and deliver all aid to civilians.

The Council affirmed the United Nations General Assembly resolution of June 12, 2025, concerning an immediate, permanent, and unconditional ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. It emphasised the need to allow unhindered access to basic services and humanitarian aid for the civilian population, and to comply with international law and international humanitarian law. It also stressed the importance of protecting civilians and rejecting their forced displacement or removal from the Strip.

The Council emphasised the statement issued by the Ministerial Committee from the Joint Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit on developments in the Gaza Strip on August 9, 2025, which confirmed the categorical rejection of Israel's attempts to sever parts of the Strip or impose military rule on it. It reiterated the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority.

The Ministerial Council reaffirmed its consistent positions and previous decisions on the centrality of the Palestinian cause, emphasising the need to end the Israeli occupation and establish an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy resolutions.

The Ministerial Council praised the success of the high-level international conference on settling the Palestinian issue through peaceful solutions and implementing the two-state solution. The conference, co-chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the French Republic, was held from July 28-30, 2025, at the United Nations headquarters. It affirmed support for all efforts aimed at ending the war in the Gaza Strip and achieving a just and sustainable settlement of the Palestinian issue through the two-state solution, unifying the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority's umbrella, and ensuring stability and security for all countries in the region. The Ministerial Council confirmed its support for the Global Coalition for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution and the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the participating countries in the conference to set a timeline for the realisation of an independent Palestinian state and the end of the Israeli occupation. It called on all countries that desire peace to join this initiative.

The Council also commended the measures initiated by France, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Malta, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and others to recognise the State of Palestine, which confirms the international community's consensus on the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state. The Council called on all countries to promptly recognise the State of Palestine to help end the Israeli occupation and fulfill the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people.

The Council condemned the Israeli occupation's plan to transfer the authority for managing and supervising the Ibrahimi Mosque from the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs and the Hebron Municipality to the Jewish Religious Council. The Council stressed that this move represents a serious violation of the historical and legal status quo of the Ibrahimi Mosque. The Council also condemned Israel's plans for settlement in the "E1" area, a dangerous escalation aimed at dividing the West Bank and thwarting the two-state solution. It also condemned the Israeli Knesset's call to impose Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank and the statements by Israeli officials in this regard.

The Ministerial Council underlined the joint statement issued on August 15, 2025, by the foreign ministers of 31 Arab and Islamic countries and the secretary-generals of the League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the GCC. The statement condemned the Israeli occupation prime minister's remarks about what is called "Greater Israel," which constitute a serious violation of the UN Charter and international law, a breach of the foundations of stable international relations, and a threat to Arab national security as well as to security and stability in the region and the world.

The Council condemned the continued acts of violence by settlers, protected by occupation forces, against civilians, and the burning of their towns, villages, and farms. It also Condemned all provocative practices aimed at displacing Palestinians, which increase escalation and tension in the region and hinder efforts to achieve peace and stability. The Council confirmed that a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue can only be achieved through direct negotiations and diplomatic dialogue among all parties, leading to a sustainable solution.

The Council reaffirmed its support for the Jordanian Directorate of Al Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem Affairs as the sole legitimate authority with jurisdiction over the management of Al Aqsa Mosque, within the framework of the historical Hashemite custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. It also expressed support for the efforts of the Al Quds Committee, chaired by His Majesty King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco.