The United Nations general assembly is to back a Hamas-free government for Palestine as part of a carefully crafted compromise that sees Arab states go further in condemning its October 2023 attack on Israel in return for clear support for a Palestinian state.
The aim is to show how Israel and the US are isolated in opposing a long-term solution to the Gaza war, and how countries such as Germany, a strong supporter of Israel, are backing a solution in which the Palestinian Authority governs the West Bank and Gaza.
The general assembly vote on Friday will take the form of an endorsement of the so-called New York declaration, a statement crafted by France and Saudi Arabia, and signed by 17 states in July.
When passed, it will contain some of the sharpest criticism of Hamas ever endorsed by the UN. The text states: “We condemn the attacks perpetrated on 7 October by Hamas against civilians,” and “Hamas must release all hostages” held in Gaza.
The vote will be seen as paving the way for the one-day UN conference on a two-state solution due to be held in New York immediately before the UN general assembly high level week. It will be at that conference that a host of states including France, UK, Canada and Australia will formally recognise the state of Palestine.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, insisted on Thursday that Israel would never accept a Palestinian state. Around three-quarters of the 193 UN member states recognise the Palestinian state proclaimed in 1988 by the exiled Palestinian leadership.
Germany and Italy remain the two large European countries holding out against recognition of a Palestine state, although the Italian coalition government is increasingly divided on the issue. Five European countries have now banned all imports from illegal Israeli settlements.
The declaration states: “In the context of the end of the war in Gaza, Hamas must cease exercising its authority over the Gaza Strip and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with the support and cooperation of the international community, in accordance with the objective of a sovereign and independent State of Palestine.”
It also mentions the deployment of a “temporary international stabilisation mission” under a mandate from the UN security council to protect the population, support the strengthening of the capacities of the Palestinian state and provide “security guarantees to Palestine and Israel”.
Hamas has said it will not give up its arms until Israel leaves Gaza.
The Middle East diplomacy came on Thursday as the UN security council condemned the bombing of Qatar, without naming Israel.
Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, is due to meet Donald Trump on Friday when he will be able to investigate exactly what the US knew about the attack on Hamas in Doha, and whether US fighter jets at the giant US airbase in Qatar could have moved to repel the Israeli jets.
The Qatari diplomats are likely to seek guarantees that Hamas negotiators will not be attacked again either in Qatar, Turkey or Egypt. Trump has said he was not happy with Israel’s actions, but also welcomed efforts to remove Hamas.
Qatar is holding an Arab-Islamic summit in Doha on Sunday to discuss a collective regional response to Israel, and there is pressure on the United Arab Emirates to suspend the Abraham accords, the cooperation agreement that it signed with Israel in September 2020.
The UAE summoned the Israeli ambassador on Friday to express its displeasure over Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders.
Dr Anwar Gargash, a senior UAE diplomat, warned Israel at the security council on Thursday: “These reckless belligerent actions will deliver neither Israel nor the region our shared goal for peace, prosperity, security and stability. They only serve to fuel more violence, extremism, and chaos – precisely when the region desperately needs restraint and de-escalation.
“Furthermore, the relentless threats of land annexation and attacks on neighbouring countries destroys any foundation for lasting peace, and threatens the entire region’s stability.”