ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Saturday discussed ongoing efforts for a durable ceasefire in Gaza after Hamas accepted parts of a peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, with both countries pledging to stay engaged with other Muslim nations on the issue.
Trump unveiled his 20-point plan last month to end the two-year war in Gaza after consulting leaders of eight Arab-Islamic nations in New York and holding a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The plan called for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian territory, the return of all Israeli hostages within a specified period and a phased Israeli withdrawal from the area. It also proposed Hamas’s disarmament and exclusion from governance, with Gaza to be run by a temporary technocratic Palestinian committee overseen by an international “Board of Peace” chaired by Trump.
Hamas said it was willing to accept some elements of the deal, though it noted there were aspects of the plan requiring further consultations among Palestinians. The US president subsequently ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza while welcoming Hamas’s statement.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia discussed the situation in a phone call between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, according to an official statement.
